DNA test (blood test) to determine the sex of the child

Many couples dream of having a baby of a certain gender. Having learned about the imminent addition to the family, conversations immediately begin about who will be born. But only after the 15th week can you more or less accurately identify the sex of the fetus on an ultrasound, and to get an accurate answer you will have to wait until the 23rd week. But what if you want to know right away? It is believed that the sex of the baby can be calculated from the first days of pregnancy, just as the sex of the unborn child can be determined by the blood of the parents at the planning stage.

Many people prefer not to know the sex of the baby before it is born.

Reliably determining the gender of a child by blood - is it possible?

Many men and women, even before the onset of a planned pregnancy, try to “program” themselves to give birth to a child of a certain gender, which is why they try to carry out numerous “tested” methods for choosing the sex of a child, proven by centuries of practice.
And almost all parents are interested in the question: is it possible to reliably determine the sex of a child during pregnancy , how to determine the sex of a child by blood, and the results of which methods most often coincide with reality.

Most of our compatriots are also interested in this for the reason that the dowry of a newborn child must necessarily correspond to his gender : girls are bought pink things, while blue remains the traditional color for boys.

Of course, color blindness, transmitted with the X chromosome, can be considered an annoying obstacle in future life, while hemophilia is a dangerous disease in which the slightest bleeding can cause the death of the patient due to a violation of blood clotting processes.

What is the essence of the method?

Until recently, doctors could, with a high degree of probability, determine the sex of the child when performing a second ultrasound - it is usually performed at 19-22 weeks of pregnancy, and by this time the external genitalia of the fetus are fully formed and are well visualized using ultrasound.
Until recently, determining the sex of a child by blood was only the domain of alternative medicine specialists, who assessed the likelihood of having a girl or a boy based on the ratio of the parents’ group affiliation or based on the “results” of blood renewal.

Modern diagnostic methods make it possible to answer the question of how to determine the sex of a child by blood at the earliest stages, although this is quite an expensive pleasure.

Thanks to the analysis of the genetic composition of the mother’s blood, already at 6 weeks it is possible to determine who exactly will be born and to psychologically prepare for this.

In some cases, such a study should be carried out if there are genetic diseases in the family - of course, its effectiveness is somewhat lower (85-95%) than when studying the chorionic villi of the placenta, which with 100% probability determines the sex of the child, but the risks are not comparable.

When testing blood, it is necessary to collect a small amount of venous blood , which will not cause the expectant mother any particular discomfort, while with chorionic villus biopsy there is a high risk of spontaneous abortion.

That is why geneticists recommend, if possible, to first determine the sex of the child using a maternal blood test and only on the basis of this result make a decision about the need for further examination of the pregnant woman.

The essence of this method is that a woman’s body can only have X chromosomes, which are found in all cells of the body.

It has been proven that the fetal blood flow and the maternal circulatory system are connected into a single whole , and through the placenta, which prevents their mixing, a small number of fetal (fetal) blood cells still penetrate.

This small amount can be determined by conducting an appropriate study, and the detection of the Y chromosome proves that the expectant mother is carrying a boy under her heart .

This test can be performed from the sixth week of pregnancy , but the results may be questionable, while reliable information is guaranteed by the ninth week.

Even those women who, for one reason or another, do not welcome an ultrasound examination can undergo this procedure and also find out the gender of their unborn child, like everyone else.

Chinese and Japanese calculation tables

You can find out the gender of your baby using special tables - Chinese and Japanese. They are easy to find online: these techniques are very popular among expectant mothers. Chinese and Japanese methods have no scientific backing. They are based solely on observations of Asian peoples. There is a legend that even emperors who dreamed of an heir used such tables.

To use the Chinese method, you need to determine the month of conception (happened/expected), and know the age of the expectant mother (at the time of conception). At the intersection of the columns corresponding to the information, the baby’s gender is indicated. Below is a table to help you calculate.

The Japanese calendar is similar to the Chinese calendar, but it is more difficult to understand. According to the Japanese method, you also need to take into account the date of birth of the future dad. To make calculations this way, it is better to use online programs: it is easy to get confused in the Japanese table. It is believed that the Chinese method is more reliable due to its flexibility.

The accuracy of Asian methods is controversial, but many couples claim that the results are confirmed. The main problem arises when determining the month of conception. Especially when the maturation of the egg occurs at the end of the month - fertilization could occur at the end of the month or at the beginning of the next. The probability is the same.

What other methods are there?

Determining the sex of a child using the mother's blood is one of the safest methods , the main advantage of which is that it is carried out early, which allows the expectant mother to think about whether it is worth keeping a child of a certain gender.
This can happen not only due to medical problems, but also due to moral and cultural ones, because Eastern men prefer that they have heirs, at least first.

That is why the results of the “folk” determination of the sex of a child by blood can only be considered as an entertaining test , but every pregnant woman can conduct it out of simple curiosity and compare the result with reality.

When using the “Rh method” , it is believed that in cases where the parents’ blood Rh factor is the same, then the child will be a girl, and if it is different, then the child will be a boy.

When using the “blood group method,” the blood ratio according to the ABO system is estimated. If both parents have group 1 - girl, 2 - girl, 3 - boy, 4 - boy.

In the case when the mother and future father (regardless of the exact affiliation) groups 1 and 2 - there will be a boy, 1 and 3 - a girl, 1 and 4 - a boy, 2 and 3 - a boy, 2 and 4 - a girl, 3 and 4 - boy.

Is it possible to determine the sex of a fetus by blood?

There is a generally accepted opinion that the sex of a child is determined using ultrasound. However, this can only be done with a repeat ultrasound, that is, not earlier than the 19th week of pregnancy. It is during the period when the fetus’s genital organs are fully formed.

In many cases (with a hereditary predisposition of the child’s gender to serious pathologies), this technique is not suitable, since in the second trimester it is no longer possible to artificially terminate (abort) an unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to determine sex in the early stages of gestation.

Previously, it was possible to find out about gender from blood fluid through unconventional methods, but today a technique has been developed in which it is enough to collect maternal biological material. In particular, this is a genetic blood test that can be performed as early as one and a half months after pregnancy.

What do the signs say?

Since ancient times, women have wanted to find out as early as possible who they carry under their hearts. They noticed how their appearance and preferences changed during pregnancy, and looked closely at other pregnant women. This is how signs appeared that made it possible to understand who would appear in the family. Observations were passed on for generations. Modern mothers often draw conclusions based on folk wisdom. Here are the most popular signs:

• Severe toxicosis - it will be a boy.
• Acute (bulging) shape of the abdomen - a son will be born; round - daughter.
• The expectant mother is getting prettier - waiting for an heir; the appearance leaves much to be desired - the beauty was “taken away” by the baby under her heart.
• The boy “loves” meat, salty and sour foods, the girl – sweet and starchy foods. You need to take note of what food you crave during pregnancy.
• The areolas of the nipples have darkened - you need to prepare a pink envelope for the maternity hospital, if they have lightened - a blue one.
• It often gives me chills when waiting for a girl, and makes me feel feverish when I wait for a boy.
• If the first movement occurs on the left side, an heiress will be born; on the right, an heir will be born.

In the old days, women loved to tell fortunes about their gender. The most common fortune telling is by ring. You need to take the wedding band, stretch a long thread through it and hang it over your left palm. The ring moves like a pendulum (forward/backward) - a hero will be born, moves in a circle - a princess.

Calculated methods for determining the gender of an unborn baby should not be completely trusted. Only ultrasound gives an accurate answer. But even with an ultrasound examination, errors cannot be ruled out. If it happens, don’t be upset: the main thing is the baby’s health.

What methods exist?

1. Determination by the blood of two parents before conception. To do this, it is necessary to thoroughly study the components of biological material.
2. You can calculate the sex of the baby based on the countdown from the time of ovulation to the time of conception. For example, if both of these periods coincide by one day, then there is a high percentage of the probability of having a boy. You can talk about a girl when conception occurs 3 or 4 days before the activity of the egg for fertilization. This is due to the fact that the X (female) chromosomes have a longer life span.
3. The sex of the baby can be determined by blood renewal, which will be discussed further.
4. You can use the blood type of the mother and father, as well as the Rh factor.
5. DNA test (from fetal blood).

Biological basis of sex formation

Gender is formed from the moment of conception. Chromosomes are responsible for this process. Their “carriers” are the egg and the sperm. Chromosomes contain information that determines the further “construction” of the organism. The egg carries only the X chromosome, the sperm carries X or Y. They merge, determining the sex code of the future person. XY is the code for boys, XX is for girls.

In the sixth week after conception, the formation of the gonads occurs. Hormones take part in their formation. When the glands are formed, the genitals appear. This occurs between the eighth and ninth weeks. The fetus, while in the womb, is exposed to androgens. They are responsible for the “secondary” – sexual characteristics of the formation of the body according to the male/female type.

Reliability of methods

It is impossible to guarantee 100% accuracy of identifying the sex of a child using blood fluid, since there are some errors. If you make calculations based on tables, then the individual characteristics of each organism are taken into account. Accuracy is affected by factors such as too heavy periods, bleeding wounds, low levels of blood fluid clotting, and even the presence of endometriosis and diabetes.

Another method is based on the blood type of both parents. Many doctors are skeptical about it. The fact is that in this case, the same couple can give birth to children of only one sex. Therefore, the most reliable methods are considered to be blood renewal and genetic analysis, which is carried out in laboratory conditions.

Analysis of urine

Pharmacies sell special gender strips. The action is based on the same principle as the pregnancy test. A special reagent is applied to the strip. When combined with urine, it turns a certain color. Orange suggests the birth of a girl, green - a boy. Urinalysis is considered effective after the eighth week of pregnancy. Accuracy is estimated at 80–85%.

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Blood renewal method

It is known that cells in internal systems and organs are periodically renewed, therefore the blood fluid can be old or new depending on the life cycle. Renewal can be compared to the skin, when dead epidermal cells peel off. New ones appear in their place. The same thing happens with blood - its old cells are removed from the body, giving the opportunity to develop new ones.

Using the cellular composition of this biological material, you can learn about the state of the body of a particular person. But this is not the main thing - it turns out that blood cells carry information at the genetic level. Therefore, at conception, gene information about its parents is transmitted to the fetus.

Male and female physiological characteristics differ, therefore the cyclical renewal of blood material differs. In representatives of the stronger sex, blood is renewed once every 4 years, and in the fair half of humanity - 3 years. This is due to the monthly release of blood through menstruation.

How to correctly calculate the sex of a baby based on the updated biological material of the parents, read below.

How to speed up the natural replacement process

How many years will it take for the blood to be renewed in the body? This is a question that interests those who want to give birth to a boy or a girl.

There is a technique on how to speed up natural renewal so that the offspring are healthy and beautiful.

1. Donating blood. You can activate a new cycle if you donate donor fluid every 4 weeks for 3 months.
2. Plasmapheresis. The procedure must be supervised by a doctor and it is important to complete the full course of treatment beforehand.

Attention! It is prohibited to use transfusions, which can lead to irreversible consequences.

Before you renew the blood in the human body without harm to it, you need to consult a doctor. The best way is a normal lifestyle, a balanced diet without alcohol and visiting a genetic counselor.

How to determine the sex of the fetus based on blood type and Rh factor?

In total, there are 4 blood groups and 2 Rh factors, on the basis of which the sex of the unborn baby can be determined. For example:

1. If the mother has the first group, the father has the third or identical, a girl may be born.
2. If a woman has group 2, and her partner has 2 or 4, then the birth will also be female.
3. If a man has blood type 1 or 3, and the mother has blood type 2, then a boy will appear.
4. If there are 3 groups present, the mother will have a girl, and the father will have 1 group.
5. If a woman has group 4 and a man has group 2, then a girl will also appear.

Based on this, you can get the following:

The Rh factor plays an important role:

The method of determining the sex of an upcoming child by the Rh factor is not so justified, since the bulk of humanity is Rh positive.

Determining the sex of a child using a laboratory blood test

The most reliable and accurate method is genetic testing of blood in a laboratory. At the end of the last millennium, fetal DNA was discovered in the mother’s blood. They are found inside the cell nucleus in chromosomes (spiral-shaped threads). Among the forty-six chromosomes of the human body, only two are responsible for gender. These are X and Y. There is such a thing as genotype, on the basis of which gender is determined. XX chromosomes indicate that they are carried by a woman. With the combination XY, the carrier is male.

For the first time, fetal cells are found in the mother’s blood fluid at the beginning of pregnancy, but their proportion is insignificant. Therefore, it is necessary to use highly sensitive chromosome detection techniques. So, if a fetal chromosome with the value X is detected, then there will be a girl, if Y - a boy.

Since fetal DNA appears only at the 7th week of gestation, up to 9 weeks you can get a maximum of 95% accurate result. After this period, the accuracy of the determination increases to 100%, as the number of fetal chromosomes increases.

Doctors must take into account factors such as the number of births, the characteristics of a woman’s particular body, the duration of pregnancy, multiple births, and the development process of the unborn child. Based on this, a highly qualified approach is required. That is, you need to take a DNA test in a specialized medical institution that uses the latest methods for diagnosing gender using biological materials.

Focusing on ovulation

Conception occurs only on certain days of the cycle. The most favorable are two days before the release of the egg, day “X” itself and two after. If a couple is planning a pregnancy, then the woman is familiar in practice with methods that allow her to determine ovulation - a BT schedule, test strips, body signals (changes in well-being, changes in the nature and amount of discharge). By determining the maturation of the egg, you can at the same time “program” a daughter or son.

The main thing is to believe that dreams come true

Sperm that carry “girl” chromosomes are considered slow but tenacious. They can “wait” for up to four days to ovulate. Sperm with the “Y” marker have the opposite “character”: they are mobile, but die quickly. Taking this into account, you can start “programming” the floor. To increase the chances of having a girl, you need to make love four to two days before ovulation. If sexual intercourse occurs on the ovulatory day or the next day, the likelihood of conceiving a boy will increase. The difficulty of the method lies in the ability to accurately determine the right time for conception. But after “practicing” a couple of cycles, women can easily recognize favorable days.

If the pregnancy was planned, but the gender was not “ordered,” you can use the same method to find out. This is possible if the BT schedule that determines ovulation is preserved, and the couple remembers when sexual intercourse occurred.

Determining the sex of the fetus using the mother's blood

Principle of analysis

During pregnancy, already in the first month, the child’s cells and DNA appear in the mother’s blood in very low concentrations, which experts call fetal cells and DNA.

If a woman carries a boy, then fetal DNA of the Y chromosome appears in her blood. Identification of Y-chromosome markers allows us to determine the sex of the unborn baby. Since the concentration of fetal DNA is very low, it can only be detected by a very highly sensitive method.

Fetal DNA appears in the mother's blood from 4-5 weeks of pregnancy. However, individual characteristics of pregnancy development do not always allow one to obtain reliable results at these times.

In the period from 6 to 8 weeks, the level of reliability of the analysis averages 90-95%. During this period, the concentration of fetal DNA in the mother’s blood increases, and after 8 weeks the reliability of the analysis reaches 100%.

Fragment analysis

Medical Genomics partners will be able to offer this service at a fundamentally new level. We were able to radically improve the existing imperfect technology for determining the sex of the fetus and bring the accuracy of the analysis to the highest possible – more than 99% – thanks to a preliminary assessment of the amount of freely circulating child DNA in the mother’s blood using fragment analysis.

The sex determination technology is based on isolating the child’s DNA from the mother’s blood and searching for the Y chromosome, the presence of which indicates the male sex of the fetus, and the absence of which indicates the female sex. But before we test a sample for the presence of the Y chromosome, we determine whether there is enough DNA from the child in the mother's blood to make conclusions about his sex. Thus, we avoid false negative results, the likelihood of which is very high in the absence of fragmented analysis.

Factors that influence fetal DNA levels:

· inaccurate determination of pregnancy duration (in very early stages)

· individual characteristics of a woman’s body (for example, low levels of freely circulating extracellular DNA1) and the process of fetal development (for example, “disappearing twin” syndrome)

taking anticoagulants or drugs to treat blood disorders

· in the last 3 months there has been a termination of pregnancy or miscarriage, a blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant from a man (or the gender of the donor is unknown)

In addition, when determining the Y-chromosome marker (i.e., boy), the reliability of the analysis is higher, because a negative result (i.e., a girl) may be due not to the absence of a marker, but to an unusually low concentration of fetal DNA.

Is it necessary to donate blood on an empty stomach?

No, not necessarily. A light breakfast is acceptable. It is recommended not to eat fatty and sweet foods

What information must be provided when donating blood for testing?

How long does the analysis take?

What is the reliability/validity of the results?

The reliability of the results depends, first of all, on the duration of pregnancy.

When pregnancy is more than 8 weeks, the reliability of the study results is almost 100%.

With shorter periods it is not always possible to obtain clear results. As a rule, if the determined gender is “boy”, then the result is reliable. If it’s a “girl,” then we recommend repeat testing in 7-10 days.

Is it possible to achieve 100% reliability of gender determination results?

Yes, you can. To do this, it is necessary to conduct two consecutive studies with independent blood sampling with an interval of 7-10 days.

Is it possible to determine the gender of a child in case of twins/triplets?

It is possible, but it should be taken into account that if one of the children is a boy, then we cannot determine the gender of the other child. Therefore, the following options are possible. The Y chromosome marker has not been determined - all are girls. The Y chromosome marker has been determined - one of the children is a boy, the other children can be either boys or girls. In addition, it was noted that in multiple pregnancies, one fetus can suppress the development of the other, which can also affect the results of the analysis.

Have there been any cases of discrepancy between the results of your analysis and ultrasound?

Yes. The blood result was correct.

How the test is carried out

Genetic analysis to determine the sex of the unborn child does not require special preparation. To carry it out, a woman needs to donate blood from a vein or finger.

To conduct an analysis of the sex of the unborn child, you must have the conclusion of the latest ultrasound examination with you. This test is informative only after the 5th week of pregnancy. If the due date is incorrectly determined without ultrasound, using the calendar method, the analysis may not work the first time and will need to be repeated.