Genetic tests can determine the sex of the fetus in early pregnancy with a probability of 99 percent. To such conclusions, as writes The New York Times, the authors of the review published in JAMA, the official journal of the American Medical Association.

Fetal sex can be clarified by ultrasound. However, this method allows reliable results not earlier than the 12th week of pregnancy.

In recent years, several variants of genetic tests have been created in the world, which make it possible to determine the sex of the fetus at earlier stages. This can be done by checking the mother's blood sample for the presence of fragments of the Y-chromosome, which women do not have. A positive test result will testify to the male child field.

In recent years, several varieties of such tests have appeared in the US and Europe. In a number of cases, their effectiveness was questionable. In particular, in 2009 in the US the company that promised women the exact definition of the sex of the unborn child from the 5th week of pregnancy was declared bankrupt after a wave of suits of defrauded clients.

At the disposal of the American scientists were data from 57 publications, covering a total of 6.5 thousand pregnancies, during which the sex of the fetus was determined. In most cases, this was done for medical reasons - in cases where there was a high probability of having children with genetic diseases linked to the floor.

Starting from the seventh week of pregnancy, tests correctly determined the male sex of the fetus with an accuracy of more than 95 percent, with an increase in the gestational age, the accuracy increased, reaching 99 percent by the 20th week.

Earlier than seven weeks, the accuracy of the tests was deemed insufficient. Methods of determining fetal DNA in the urine of pregnant women were also ineffective.

The experts interviewed by The New York Times note the far-reaching consequences of data on the high performance of genetic methods for early detection of sex. The use of such technologies is justified in cases where the sex of the fetus is determined by medical indications. However, data obtained through free-of-charge tests can be used for selective sex-based abortions-a practice condemned by the world community, spread in India, China, and a number of other countries.

News. Gradusnik. En Key words:.