Can you determine the sex of a baby before 20 weeks?
You can determine the sex of your baby before 20 weeks with varying degrees of accuracy depending on the method you use: ultrasound or amniocentesis.
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Genital Development
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Before about your eighth week of pregnancy, male and female genitals in the fetus appear to be identical, although the baby's chromosomes already determine whether your baby is a boy or a girl. At around 12 weeks, genitals have begun to differentiate, but these differences may not be visible yet on an ultrasound.
Ultrasound
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You can determine the sex of a baby by ultrasound as early as 16 weeks, but the accuracy of these results will depend heavily on the baby's position and the technician's expertise. Most doctors recommend that you wait until at least 18 weeks to have an ultrasound to determine sex for more accurate results.
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Amniocentesis
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An amniocentesis tests the baby's chromosomes for abnormalities, and it can determine the sex of the baby. Amniocentesis can be performed as early as 14 weeks.
Warning
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A doctor will perform an amniocentesis by removing a small amount of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac with a needle. The procedure carries a small risk of infection and a .5 percent risk of miscarriage. Due to the risk involved, amniocentesis is recommended only for women at a higher risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality: those who are over age 35, have a family history of chromosomal disorders or have a previous child with an abnormality.
Considerations
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Even at 20 weeks, the accuracy of an ultrasound depends on factors such as your baby's position and movements, and your ultrasound technicians ability to read the results. While ultrasounds have improved in their ability to determine a baby's sex, they are not 100 percent accurate.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Hamed Saber
