A blood test that can tell sex of a 5-week-old fetus

Ratio of 2 Enzymes in Mom’s Blood Determines Gender

London: A pioneering blood test that could allow pregnant women know the sex of their unborn
child as early as five weeks has been developed, but scientists have warned that it has potential
for promoting sex-selection.
A team led by Dr Hyun Mee Ryu at Cheil General Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, found that
various ratios of two enzymes which can be extracted from a pregnant mother’s blood indicate
the baby’s gender as early as five or six weeks.
Knowing the sex early, the scientists said, is important if the mother is a carrier of an X-
chromosome gene that can cause a disease like muscular dystrophy or hemophilia. They said that
female fetuses are either free from the disease or are carriers, but a male has a 50% chance of
inheriting the disease and parents may choose to abort the pregnancy, the Daily Mail reported.
However, this method “might promote the potential for sex selection. Therefore, there should be
careful consideration about the use of this analytical tool in clinical situations”, the scientists
warned.
Current ultrasounds can detect a baby’s sex at around five months, while available invasive
testing can work at 11 weeks. But these tests carry a one to two per cent risk of miscarriage as
they require a sample from the amniotic sac that protects the fetus.
Writing in the The FASEB Journal, Dr Hyu said their test could “reduce the need for invasive
procedures in pregnant women carrying an X-linked chromosomal abnormality and clarify
inconclusive readings by ultrasound.”
For their study, the team collected maternal plasma from 203 women during the first trimester of
their pregnancies between 2008 and 2009. They were able to accurately detect the gender of the
baby from as early as five weeks by measuring the ratio of the amount of the enzymes — DYS14
and GAPDH — in the blood plasma.
“Although more work must be done before such a test is widely available, this paper does show
it is possible to predict the sex of a child as early as the first few weeks after conception," said Dr
Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of the journal which published the study. PTI

PINK OR BLUE?
Antioxidant-rich foods prevent heart diseases
Eating broccoli, apples and berries can also help in the management of diabetes

People who eat a diet rich in foods containing powerful antioxidants not only lower their risk of
developing heart disease, but can slash their cholesterol and even get diabetes under control,
suggest experts. The secret lies in a regular dose of potent, health giving foods rich in
antioxidants called flavonoids. They are found in abundance in plant-based foods with onions,
apples, berries, kale, and broccoli having highest concentration. They are also found in high
amounts in tea, berries, chocolate and even red wine.
They work by fighting harmful molecules accumulating in the body that damage healthy cells. A
12-month trial carried out by scientists at the University of East Anglia found that diets high in
these flavonoids could reduce the risk of heart disease for women with Type 2 diabetes. The new
study also found out that regularly eating flavonoid-rich foods could also help in the
management of diabetes.
The study looked at 93 postmenopausal women with Type 2 diabetes from the age of 51 to 74.
Half were given two small bars of flavonoid-enriched chocolate each day and half were given
placebo chocolate bars. Those receiving extra flavonoids reduced the risk of a heart attack by
3.4%. Their insulin resistance and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced by the
flavonoids. ANI

Vegetables like broccoli are rich in flavonoids