Source: South Africa Independent On Line
JERUSALEM, JANUARY 31, 2002: Israeli researchers said on Thursday they had made progress towards developing what could be a test to detect the gender of a fetus only 16 days after conception. Currently the gender of a fetus can only be determined by ultrasound about 14 weeks after conception, or at 16 weeks by amniocentesis. A team at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital found the level of maternal serum HCG — the hormone used to test whether a woman is pregnant — was 20 percent higher in mothers who carried female fetuses than in those who were carrying males. The blood test for HCG, given just over two weeks after conception, carries no particular dangers for the pregnant mother, but Doctor Yuval Yaron, head of the medical team conceded that such early sex diagnosis could carry some risks. “Certainly, some paces like India practice fetal sex selection which I find unacceptable. I would not like to see the results of our test misused in this way.” It is estimated two to five million female fetuses are killed each year in India, where male offspring have traditionally been favored over females.