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Jakarta Post

Can you choose the sex of your baby?

Here are some old tricks as well as newly developed methods for those who want to choose their child's sex.

Hello Sehat (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, August 31, 2016

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Can you choose the sex of your baby? Is it really possible to control your children’s genders? (Shutterstock/File)

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or centuries, couples have tried to control their babies’ gender using anything from ancient tricks to modern techniques. This desire arises for various reasons, be it cultural demands, a personal preference for a son or daughter, family gender balancing, or preventing an offspring from contracting a gender-related genetic disease.

However, is it really possible to control your children’s genders? Technically, yes!

Recently, with technological advancements, couples have additional methods to choose from to influence their child’s gender. Here are some old tricks as well as newly developed methods for those who want to try to influence their child's sex.

The first approved and reliable technique is Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD uses an in-vitro fertilization technique to remove eggs and fertilize them with the sperm of a partner to create embryos in a lab. After they are screened, a specialist will implant two or three embryos into the woman’s uterus. Three days later, the embryos will divide into eight cells, which will be then evaluated to examine if the desired gender’s gene is present. Following the evaluation, doctors will implant an embryo of the desired sex into the mother.

(Read also: Factors that influence twin pregnancies)

MicroSort is a technique involving separating sperm bearing X- and Y-chromosomes by using laser light, dye and a flow cytometer. When the sperm are divided, the specimens are inserted back into the woman using artificial tools. Because the X sperm is larger, it absorbs more dye and glows brighter than the Y sperm under the illumination of a laser. In this way, researchers can assign a positive charge to the X chromosomes that glow brighter and a negative charge to the Y chromosomes that glow less brightly.

Another much tried and tested theory is diet. According to research, Y sperm are likely to grow strongly in an alkaline environment, while X prefer an acidic environment. Eating either alkaline or acidic foods can change the pH of the mother's body and theoretically influence her child’s gender. Thus, in order to have a boy, a mother should consume foods high in sodium and potassium, and minimize her intake of calcium and magnesium. A mother who wants to conceive a girl should consume foods high in calcium and magnesium and avoid foods that are high in sodium and potassium.

According to another theory developed by Landrum B. Shettles, in order to have a boy, couples should have sex no earlier than one day before and up to half a day after ovulation. To have a girl, the Shettles method suggests having sex no later than two-and-a-half to three days prior to ovulation. This is based on the idea that male sperm move faster, but don't live as long as female sperm. The method is reportedly effective at least 75 percent of the time, with the rate slightly lower for girls than for boys.

Unless you have a serious gender-linked genetic condition that could be passed to your children, it is generally not recommended to attempt any kind of sex selection. (kes)



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