Last Updated on October 29, 2022 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A number of social media users claim that gender tests for an unborn baby can be easily performed at home by mixing toothpaste to the urine of a pregnant woman. We fact-checked and found that the claim is completely false.
The Claim
A number of videos claiming the do-it-yourself gender test of an unborn child is being circulated on YouTube. The video shows a person mixing toothpaste in a glass of liquid apparently claimed to be the urine of a pregnant lady. The claim associated with this is if the urine creates bubbles or fizz after the toothpaste is mixed with it, then the unborn child is a boy. If there is no fizz, then it is a girl. Videos containing such claims about gender prediction with toothpaste can be seen here.
Fact Check
What is the medically accepted way for gender test of an unborn baby?
The NIPT (Non-invasive prenatal testing) test is a noninvasive blood test for a pregnant woman after 10 weeks of pregnancy. It can determine the gender of your unborn child and various chromosomal abnormalities, such as down syndrome(if present). NIPT checks for the presence or absence of the Y chromosome. The presence of the Y chromosome indicates that you’re having a boy, and its absence indicates that your baby’s sex is female.
An ultrasound, after 14 weeks of gestation, is the only way other than a blood test for gender determination. Please note that pre-natal sex determination tests on pregnant women have been illegal since 1994 in India; however, in several countries, it is completely legal.
Does the urine of pregnant woman contains any indication for gender of the baby?
Maybe. Some research have shown that the hCG hormones present in the urine of a pregnant woman can have markers of the baby’s genders. Studies have shown that serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone is higher when the fetal sex is female. But despite that, researchers feel that “it has little value in predicting fetal sex” since the variation happens in small number of women.
Can urine of a pregnant woman be mixed with toothpaste to identify the gender of an unborn baby?
Dr Anita Gupta, Gynecologist and Associate Director at Fortis La Femme, New Delhi, says, “It is not possible to predict the gender of an unborn baby using home-based ingredients like toothpaste. Several myths and misinformation exist regarding gender prediction using such ingredients but these lack scientific evidence. The medical fraternity practicing modern medicine does not promote such practices at home. Also, pre-natal sex determination testing has been illegal in India since 1994.”
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