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Pregnant mother’s diet may decide baby’s sex4 December, 2007 What a woman eats in pregnancy could decide the sex of her unborn baby. In a study of mice, scientists found that rodents with low blood-sugar levels – which is an indication of a sugar-rich diet – produce more female offspring. For the study, researchers altered the levels of blood sugar in female mice during conception by feeding the mice a steroid called dexamethasone (DEX) – a steroid which inhibits the transport of glucose into the bloodstream. The sex of their litters was then compared with that of 20 mice on a regular diet. It was noticed that those eating normally gave birth to offspring that were 53% male, but those on the steroid produced litters that were only 41% male. The researchers were led by included Elissa Cameron, of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The study has been published in the journal Proceeds of the Royal Society B. Elissa Cameron has concluded that a diet that is high in sugary snacks may lead to more female offspring – at least, in mice. The results may translate to humans, but more research is needed, she adds. She said it was unclear how blood-sugar levels affected the sex of the offspring. Chromosomes present in the sperm determine the sex of a baby. Girls have two X chromosomes, while boys have an X and a Y chromosome. In men, diet can have an impact by altering the proportion of sperm carrying X chromosome and Y chromosome. The latest research suggests that the environment in the womb is affected by food consumed by the mother, by creating conditions that are more favourable to male or female sperm. Professor Elissa Cameron said her work raised the possibility that diet can influence the proportion of males and females in a population. It also offered a possible answer to a key question in evolutionary theory – that is, understanding the mechanisms through which animals “select” the sex off their offspring. Earlier studies have found that certain types of food increase chances of miscarriage and that the time of year a baby is conceived can have an impact on its sex.
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