Study Challenges Traditional Gender Odds In Families

A recent Harvard University study challenges the belief that the sex of a baby is a simple coin toss. Analyzing data from over 58,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, researchers discovered a pattern in families with at least three children. The likelihood of the sex of each subsequent child appears to be influenced by the genders of previous siblings. For instance, if a family’s first two children are girls, there is a higher chance the next child will also be a girl, and vice versa for boys. Lead author Siwen Wang’s research reveals significant odds, with families having three consecutive boys or girls having a higher chance of having another child of the same sex. Factors like maternal age, hormonal changes, and parental genetics may play a role, but further research, especially involving fathers, is necessary. Experts caution that the study’s sample, predominantly white American women, may not represent global trends. (Newser)