Numerous methodologies, and approaches exist when it comes to gender predictor tests of your unborn child. While it is important to keep your options open, and to take advice from your Doctor, equally as important is to maintain, as much as is possible, undue harm to either yourself or your baby.
We’ll be discussing some of the diagnostic techniques that exist out there, and deciding which one is holistically recommended when it comes to taking your safety, time, costs, and peace of mind into account.
Ultrasound
The medical imaging technique known as ultrasound is used, in most cases, to assess your baby’s health prior to birth. But, ultrasound can also be utilised as a prenatal gender predictor – determining the gender after 11 weeks gestation.
However, large variabilities in the accuracy of this test are known to occur, especially at earlier gestation periods. Accuracy in determining the gender of the baby correctly can vary from 60-70% at 11 weeks, with higher accuracy occuring at, or after, 13 weeks gestation. This volatility in accuracy is due to a multitude of factors, the largest ones being radiologist experience, and unpredictable physiological growth as the gender is usually determined from the angle of what is known as the “genital tubercle”.
Excitement, lack of patience, and eagerness to prepare come into play when it comes to gender predictor methods. Unfortunately, ultrasound fails on these fronts as its accuracy linearly increases with the mothers gestation period; it takes a substantial gestational period for worthwhile accuracy.
Urine
While being a safe, and inexpensive solution, urine gender predictor tests fall off the accuracy bandwagon by a large margin.
Typically marketed in the form of a kit being able to detect the presence of testosterone, as a signpost of the gender of the fetus, these concepts have no official grounding in science. Literature reviews carried out have concluded that the accuracy of these tests average to ~41% - worse than a random guess. An explanation for their inadequacy is that fetal DNA is filtered, and loses many of its identifying markers through being denatured from the bloodstream by the time it reaches urine.
Blood
The gold standard gender predictor for pregnant women is via non-invasive blood sampling - a service we provide here at Prenatal Genetics Center. Blood sampling works through analysis of the mother’s bloodstream where what is known as cell free fetal DNA (cffDNA) from the baby, is shed, from which detection of a Y chromosome occurs; if found, then the baby can be declared male, if not then a female fetus can be safely assumed.
With results showing a higher than 99% accuracy, after just a 10 week gestational period, it’s no surprise why blood sampling for prenatal gender testing has become so popular. Additionally, blood sampling removes the possibility of miscarriages that methods such as amniocentesis (amniotic fluid extraction), and CVS (placental sampling) prenatal tests are known to cause – giving you the peace of mind to not put yourself or your unborn baby in harm’s way, as well as getting your results faster, and accurately.
Get Your Prenatal Gender Testing Done the Right Way
Our non-invasive gender predictor tests at Prenatal Genetics Laboratory is designed to keep you safe, and feeling certain with our track record of unequaled accuracy compared to any other publically available gender test. We continually look to improve, and adapt any techniques that have proven their merit in a clinical setting, while also keeping things affordable for you. We’re always here to discuss any concerns or queries you may have surrounding prenatal gender testing of your baby!
