Quick Take
A YouTube video claims that mixing soap with urine of a pregnant lady is a natural way to predict the sex of an unborn child. We fact checked and found that the claim is False.
The Claim
The YouTube video shows a person taking two glasses of urine and mixing pieces of soap in both of them. The text on the video asks us to wait for 15 minutes after this and then shows one of the glasses having a foamy liquid while the other is still as it was. The text posts claim that if the soap fizzes or sizzles in urine then you are having a boy.
Multiple videos of the same claim are widely circulated on YouTube and can be seen here and here.
Fact Check
How can the sex of an unborn baby be detected?
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 is the only way other than a blood test for gender determination. After 14 weeks of gestation, the baby’s genitals can be seen in an ultrasound. It is non-invasive and up to 90% accurate in visualizing the gender of the fetus when the test is performed after the 16 weeks of gestation.
Can the sex of an unborn baby be identified at home using soap and urine?
No. Such home remedies do not work. They have no scientific basis.
The proponents of the theory believes that the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that a woman’s body produces during pregnancy and is often detected in urine, reacts with the compounds of a soap to reveal the gender of the unborn baby. There is some research that have shown that hCG amount in urine varies as per the sex of the unborn baby. But since the compounds of a soap varies greatly from one brand to another, there is no guarantee to have any consistent reaction between urine of a pregnant woman and soap.
We checked with our expert Dr Anita Gupta, Gynecologist and Associate Director at Fortis La Femme, New Delhi, can home-based ingredients predict the gender of an unborn baby at home. She replied, “No. Home-based ingredients like toothpaste, baking soda, soap, urine fizz etc., cannot help predict the gender of an unborn baby at home. There exists a lot of myths and false claims around gender prediction using such ingredients. Medical fraternity practicing modern medicine does not promote such practices at home. These claims lack scientific evidence. Also, pre-natal sex determination testing is illegal in India since 1994.”
Disclaimer: Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can futher read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.