As for a simple blood test in the first trimester of pregnancy, find out the sex of the child
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
A new study published in the journal FASEB Journal describes the results that could lead to the development of non-invasive tests that allow future mothers to know the sex of their child in the first trimester of pregnancy. In particular, scientists from South Korea found that the different ratios of the two enzymes (DYS14 / GAPDH) can indicate whether the child is a boy or a girl. This test can be the first of its kind.
"Now in early pregnancy, the determination of the sex of a child is carried out through invasive procedures such as chorionic biopsy or amniocentesis, but these procedures involve a risk of miscarriage (about 2%) and can not be performed until 11 weeks of pregnancy. In the first trimester of pregnancy using ultrasound does not give reliable results due to incomplete development of the external genitalia, "said Hyen Mirou, author of the study from the University of Seoul (Korea).
To make this discovery, Ryu and his colleagues collected maternal plasma from 203 women during the first trimester of pregnancy. The presence of circulating embryonic DNA was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction of U-PDE9A. Multiplex chain polymerase reaction was also used to simultaneously determine the amount of DYS14 and GAPDH in the mother plasma. The results were confirmed by the phenotype of the child at birth.
"Despite the fact that it still takes some time before this test is widely available, the results of this study show that it is possible to predict the sex of the unborn child in the first few weeks after conception," said Gerald Weisman, MD, chief editor of FASEB Journal.
