Blood Test Can Determine Gender At 7 Weeks of Gestation

A new study has found that a blood test can determine the gender of a baby after a mere seven weeks of gestation.The results showed the test was able to accurately determine the gender of the fetus 95 percent of the time after seven weeks of gestation, though it was most reliable after 20 weeks.Because the test is generally reliable and noninvasive, researchers believe it may be a welcome alternative to amniocentesis, which comes with some risk of fetal loss.

Currently, fetal gender can be determined through an ultrasound around 18 to 20 weeks of gestation, but there are numerous advantages of determining gender earlier.

Besides giving parents a longer period of time to stock up on blue or pink baby items, knowing the gender can impact medical decision making.

Rare disorders, for example, can often be associated with one gender or the other. Knowing the sex of the babies who may be at risk for these disorders can therefore effect the treatment of the mother.

Researchers say additional tests are needed before the blood test is used to determine care for pregnant mothers.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.