Smoking while pregnant raises the likelihood of having a girl

Smoking while pregnant raises the likelihood of having a girl

And the chance of giving birth to a boy drops by almost half if both
parents are smokers, study shows

By Marie Woolf, Political Editor
Published: 08 April 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2432470.ece


Parents who are smokers when they conceive a child are far more
likely to
have girls than boys, an extensive study by paediatricians has
found. The
chance of having a male baby drops by almost half if both parents
smoke
during early pregnancy, amid fresh evidence that smoking
could "kill" male
foetuses in the womb.

Smoking not only reduces the chances of conceiving a male child, but
could
stop male embryos implanting in the womb and cause miscarriages.

While almost 52 per cent of all new-born babies are male in the
western
world, the proportion of female offspring rises dramatically among
smokers. The study into 9,000 pregnancies in Liverpool found a
startling
imbalance in the number of girl babies among parents who smoke.
Mothers
who smoked during pregnancy were one-third less likely to have male
children than mothers who did not smoke. If the father also smoked,
and if
factors such as the health and age of the mother were accounted for,
the
chances of having a male child reduces by almost half.

The research by paediatricians at the Liverpool School of Tropical
Medicine has caused excitement in the international scientific
community,
which says it raises serious questions about the effect of smoking on
population balance.

"There are a lot of studies looking at birth weight in relation to
smoking
but this shows that mothers who smoke are more likely to have a
female
child," said Alison Poulton, senior lecturer in paediatrics at the
University of Sydney, Australia.

The study looked at 9,000 women who delivered children at Liverpool
Women's Hospital between 1998 and 2003. It found heavy smokers were
the
most likely to deliver female babies, but that passive smoking may
also
affect the gender of a child. Mothers who do not smoke but are
exposed to
cigarettes from partners are less likely to have boys.

The research, by a team of paediatricians led by Professor Bernard
Brabin,
found that substances contained in cigarettes, such as nicotine,
inhibit
sperm carrying male chromosomes from fertilising eggs.

"The study aimed to assess whether maternal smoking during pregnancy
affects the likelihood of the offspring being male or female. When we
adjusted for factors statistically like maternal age and if both
parents
smoked they had almost double the chance of having a female baby,"
said Mr
Brabin, professor of tropical paediatrics. "We don't know what
causes it.
The hypothesis is that sperm cells carrying the Y- chromosome which
are
responsible for male children are more sensitive to unfavourable
smoking
related changes in the mother. Smoking reduces oestrogen and causes
changes to the mother's cervix. The message is clear: if you want an
increased chance of a male baby, don't smoke during pregnancy."

 

"Smoking while pregnant" isn't going to give a fetus a sex-change. If a "Y" sperm got there first, all the ciggs in the world won't make a girl.

 

It pays to read the whole thing.

 

What about smoking after sex? I don't know if I smoke after sex-- I've never checked.

 

Lord knows I do. And I hate the smell of burnt rubber.

 

Yeah, thanks.

My post had to do with the title, which makes no sense.

 

Considering the number of intentional, or wanted, pregnancies, miscariages are often followed by another pregnancy. Considering smoking increases the risk of miscarriage with male fetuses and lessens the chance of impregnation by male chromosomes, I'd say the title makes perfect sense. That is if you read, and comprehend, the text following the title.

 

What did you say?

:tongue:

 

Hey great new ad for Phillip Morris to start up!


Smoke a pack a day and the girl is on her way!

 

um, seriously?

 

Good grief