Research shows girls kick as often as boys. Babies who kick a lot in the womb are also more active after birth. Some mothers have more trouble feeling the kicks than others. If the placenta is on the front side of the womb, or if you are overweight, you will feel the kicks less.
Conclusion: Despite numerous prior studies derived from small samples failing to reveal significant sex differences in fetal activity, the present study demonstrates that males are about 10% more active than females during the latter two-thirds of pregnancy and are even more so following birth.
No, your baby's movements can't predict if you're going to have a boy or a girl. You may have heard people say that if your baby isn't very active in the womb, then you're likely to be having a girl. Or that if you feel your baby moving more on the right side, then you're probably having a boy.
Only 7.6 percent percent of male babies and 5.5 percent of female babies were in the womb 42 weeks or longer. Males were also 1.5 times more likely to be born at 43 weeks or longer. The researchers noted that the most common reason for prolonged pregnancies is an error in calculating the due date.
Fetal movements typically increase when the mother is hungry, reflecting lowered blood sugar levels in the mother and fetus. This is similar to the increased activity of most animals when they are seeking food, followed by a period of quietness when they are fed.
As for any pregnancy reduced fetal movements are a sign of the fetus being in poor condition and should not be accepted as “typical for a baby with Down's syndrome.” Mothers need to be reminded that babies should remain active even during late pregnancy and to report any reduction in fetal movements.
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Male fetuses are more fragile and are statistically less likely to be conceived or survive pregnancy when food is in short supply. Female sperm are more robust and baby girls are hardier early in pregnancy, so in leaner times they may be more able to survive.
Hormone differences for baby boys and girls
Studies have shown hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone responsible for the second line appearing on a home pregnancy test) is higher for female fetuses compared with males, and remains higher throughout pregnancy. Some studies only report this later in pregnancy.
Dr Chilton adds that baby boys need more emotional support from their mother, and for a longer period than baby girls. “Male babies on average have greater difficulty self-regulating their emotional state and therefore have a greater reliance on emotional support, especially from their mother1,” he says.
One study, published in 2001 in the journal Human Fetal and Neonatal Movement Patterns, found that boys may move around more in the womb than girls. The average number of leg movements was much higher in the boys compared to the girls at 20, 34 and 37 weeks, that study found.
Women carrying a male fetus have significantly increased maternal weight gain during pregnancy when compared to women with a female fetus. The increased sex ratio remains when adjusting for each newborn weight group.
Women are more likely to move and to move over longer distances at the start of co-residence than men.
Screening for Down syndrome can be performed as early as 11 to 14 weeks of pregnancy with a first trimester ultrasound and blood test. Screening can also be performed between 15 and 20 weeks by a blood test referred to as the multiple marker serum screening test.
An ultrasound can detect fluid at the back of a fetus's neck, which sometimes indicates Down syndrome. The ultrasound test is called measurement of nuchal translucency. During the first trimester, this combined method results in more effective or comparable detection rates than methods used during the second trimester.
Inheritance. Most cases of Down syndrome are not inherited. When the condition is caused by trisomy 21, the chromosomal abnormality occurs as a random event during the formation of reproductive cells in a parent. The abnormality usually occurs in egg cells, but it occasionally occurs in sperm cells.
Researchers in Scotland compared fetal responses when pregnant women spoke to their babies or rubbed their bellies. "Overall results suggest that maternal touch of the abdomen was a powerful stimulus, producing a range of fetal behavioural responses," the researchers write.
Maternal stress has also been shown to have a significant association with increased fetal motor activity at 24, 30, and 36 weeks gestation [28].
It's all about Dad's genes
A man's X and a woman's X combine to become a girl, and a man's Y combines with a woman's X to become a boy. But if the sperm don't have equal Xs and Ys, or if other genetic factors are at play, it can affect the sex ratio.
The age where a man is most fertile is between 22 and 25 years. It is suggested to have children before the age of 35. After this age, the male fertility begins to worsen. After 35, the sperm might result in pregnancies where mutations can occur.