Pregnancy Myths
Fact or Fiction?
MYTH: Ultrasound is 100% predictive of the baby's gender.
Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. (OB/GYN)
So what is the success rate of ultrasound in
gender prediction? It really depends on the gestational age of the infant when the scan is performed
and the skill of the technician performing the ultrasound. In the early second trimester, around
fourteen to fifteen weeks, the sex of the fetus can be difficult to visualize because the penis
and the clitoris have a similar developmental structure. An ultrasound done around eighteen to
twenty weeks of gestation has a higher predictive value for gender. In fact, studies have shown
that sex can be determined 100% of the time if the ultrasound is done after twenty weeks in
at least one or two exams. In a review of multiple studies, the accuracy was shown to
be 97%.
Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. author of "Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Surviving Myths, Mothers, and Moods"
Other Myths:
Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. (OB/GYN)
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