In the past, an expectant mother who wanted to know the gender of her unborn baby had to wait for a sonogram 20 weeks into her pregnancy. But now an at-home test can determine a baby’s sex only 10 weeks in, with 78 to 80 percent accuracy, according to IntelliGender, the test's creator.
When we asked the company's rep exactly how the test worked, we were told what we pretty much already knew: It’s an analysis of urine in which chemicals react with hormones to indicate the gender of the baby. It takes about 10 minutes for the urine sample to turn either orange (for a girl) or green (for a boy). Interestingly, recent sexual activity can yield a false "boy" result.
The tests won’t be sold in India and China, where an overriding preference for male babies could prompt a rash of terminated pregnancies for women carrying girls. Here in the States, the company warns against a somewhat less drastic reaction parents might have when they see the results: painting the nursery a gender-specific color.
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Image: flickr / peasap
