Posts Tagged x chromosomes
Predict Baby Gender: How Do You Know It’s A Boy Or A Girl?
Posted by in Pregnancy on September 26th, 2009
Right at the moment of conception, life begins. It starts when the egg unites with the sperm. There are two types of sperms – the X and the Y. A baby girl is conceived if the X-sperm fertilizes with the egg while a boy is conceived if a Y-sperm unites with the egg. – This is how conception of a baby happens and thus; how baby gender is determined as well.
Expectant parents get very anxious and ecstatic at the same time to find out about their baby’s gender – which is why weeks before you can even confirm baby gender, they would go as far as taking baby gender quizzes, using baby gender calculators and the like. But are there really ways to predict baby gender? How can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl? During the first few weeks, males and females can be very much alike but there are a few unofficial ways to predict baby gender. Keep in mind; however, that gender will only be officially confirmed after the ultrasound on your 5th month. Below, we will share with you some hints to help you predict baby gender.
l During the first half of the first trimester, babies – destined to be girl or boy alike – have almost the same sexual equipment called the “genital duct.” Both can make either a female or male organ. It starts as three tiny bumps in between the legs. The major change becomes visible on the later part of the first trimester. Those destined to become a boy ( with one X and one Y chromosome) produces the male hormone called testosterone which allows the bump to develop male sexual organs. This bump begin to elongate to form the penis and the two other bumps on the side form the scrotum. The testicles start to develop right inside the lower part of the abdomen and descends into their permanent place in the scrotum either before or after birth.
l The testicles, which are surrounded by fluid in a separate compartment, can be detected on 2D diagram and image by the 36th week.
l Babies with two X chromosomes are girls. If there is no testosterone, the bump in the middle of the legs remain very small and the ones on either sides start to fold to form the labia. The labia surrounds the entrance to the vagina. Unlike the scrotum, the labia do not fuse together and instead of testicle formation in the lower abdomen, baby girl develops ovaries which stay within her pelvis permanently.
Other soon-to-be parents resort to answering baby quizzes or computing the odds through baby gender calculators. If you intend to use either of these, keep in mind that these are not official ways to predict baby gender. In order for you to find out whether it’s a boy or a girl, you need to have an ultrasound by your 5th month. The gender result around this time is most likely to be accurate than any other baby gender predictor hint or quiz.
You can find helpful information about baby gender quizzes and everything you need to know about how to predict baby gender at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: Predict Baby Gender: How Do You Know It’s A Boy Or A Girl?
Explaining Baby Gender Selection
Posted by in Pregnancy on September 25th, 2009
If you are planning of getting pregnant soon, you might want to consider several techniques on baby gender selection. These techniques can help you determine the gender of your baby. Some couples look forward to having a baby girl while some wishes for a boy. If you have a favored gender, it is natural for you to increase the odds of having a child of your favored sex. To date, couples may now be able to choose their desired gender through baby gender selection. This is a technique which has been receiving too much attention as well as controversies for their ethical and moral implications. In this article, we will share with you basic information and tips that you need to know about baby gender selection.
What is gender selection? This is the term coined to the method of increasing one’s chances of having a child of a certain sex. Couples are now open to using fertility treatment techniques to increase the odds of conceiving either a boy or a girl. To have a boy for instance, the woman’s egg is fertilized with a man’s sperm. Eggs carry X chromosomes while a sperm can carry either an X or a Y chromosome. If a Y chromosome fertilizes with an egg, you will have a boy. If an X-bearing chromosome unites with an egg, then you will have a girl.
You may wonder: why do couples want to choose the gender of their child? There are many reasons why couples use gender selection techniques. Some of the reasons have something to deal with the social, economical and cultural benefits of having either a boy or a girl. The reasons include the following:
l Genetic disease prevention – There are couples who want a certain gender choice in order to prevent certain genetic disorders from being passed on. Hemophilia, for instance, is a disease which occurs only in boys. If hemophilia is part of the family history then some couples hope for a girl instead of a boy.
l Family rebuilding – Some parents who lost a child wish to rebuild the family again by having a child of the same gender. The couples would seek out baby gender selection methods and choose one which will fit their needs and lifestyle best.
l Balancing – Another common reason why couples favor a certain gender is family balancing. They want to balance the number of girls and boys and so they choose a certain type of sex.
For some, gender selection is an easy option. To some; however, concerns on ethics, legal and morality become a huge issue. All these issues can make it difficult for couples to decide on the type of treatment to choose, the clinic to pick and the like. Opponents of gender selection techniques, most of whom with the religious side, stand that these procedures are ethically and morally against the Christian dogma.
If you are 100% sure of pursuing any of these baby gender selection techniques, confirm baby gender using a medical process like a baby gender ultrasound to lessen the flaws of inaccuracy.
Learn everything you need to know about baby gender selection and find helpful tips and information about baby gender ultrasound at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: Explaining Baby Gender Selection
New Technologies: Baby Gender Predictors Of Modern Time
Posted by in Pregnancy on September 25th, 2009
It is natural for expectant parents to get curious about their baby’s gender. Long ago, choosing baby gender was high impossible. It was so impossible that parents who wanted to influence their baby’s gender had to do crazy things such as tying the left testicle in the hope of producing sons. Parents had to settle for baby gender predictors or wait tediously until the official ultrasound results arrive and then that’s the only time they can start buying pillows or pink mittens and the like. To date; however, technology finally makes it possible for parents to choose baby gender. Choosing baby gender was made possible when the first test-tube baby was born in 1978. Below are some modern ways which you may consider in choosing baby gender.
Selective abortion – Selective abortion is said to be one of the crudest way to choose baby sex. In this case, the mother takes an amniocentesis, which is an early-pregnancy examination which screens genetic diseases. The process can also determine the gender of the fetus. If the sex is not what the parents aspire for, the mother aborts the pregnancy. This technique is clearly not supported by Christian countries.
Method by Ericsson – Another method which is now available to moms is that which was developed in the 1970s by Ronald Ericsson, PHD – a geneticist. Like the other methods, this technique had its share of drawbacks as well as ethical considerations. The method revolves around the idea that X chromosomes (female) are larger and denser than Y chromosomes (male). The fast swimming male sperms are separeted from the slow swimming female sperms through a human serum which serves as a filter. Given this, pregnant women are inseminated with a higher number of sperm in favor of the couple’s desired gender. This process is relatively affordable and was not proven to be medically invasive; however, it is said to fail in three out of ten cases.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)– This technique is said to be more successful as compared to the one proposed by Ericsson. This method was originally developed to screen for sex-linked genetic diseases. This includes muscular dystrophy and hemophilia which disproportionately affects boys. The pre-implantation method can be done through vitro fertilization – the process wherein the woman’s eggs are removed from her ovaries and fertilized with her partner’’s sperm through surgery. In the IVF procedure, the fertilized embryos are brought back to the uterus of the women but with PGD, one or two cells are taken from each embryo. The doctors analyze these cells and then they detect the sex of your baby. The process is said to be almost 100 percent accurate. The preferred embryos are then used in he IVF process and those which are not chosen are either donated to research institutions or to other couples.
MicroSort – This is said to be one of the most promising techniques to tell baby gender. The sperm is stained using a special dye and is run through a machine which distinguishes female DNA from male DNA in the sperm and sorts out the favored gender. After, the women is inseminated with the sperm which carries the chromosomes of her choice. This technique has been in clinical trials since 1993. It was first made available to couples who have a history of sex-linked diseases. It quickly expanded and was made accessible to people who wanted to choose their baby’s gender.
Choosing baby gender is now right in your fingertips. Before finally taking any of these methods, make sure that they do not go against any religious or social beliefs and ethics.
You can find helpful information about baby gender predictors and everything you need to know about how to choosing baby gender at Aha! Baby.
Article Source: New Technologies: Baby Gender Predictors Of Modern Time
