Women’s Eating Habits Could Affect a New Baby’s Gender

A new report showed that the amount a woman eats and her eating habits at the time of conception could influence the gender of her new baby.

The report, conducted by researchers from England’s University of Exeter and Oxford, showed the first evidence that a child’s sex is linked to the mother’s diet. Since it has been widely known that sex is determined genetically by whether sperm from the father supplies X or Y chromosome, this study tells that a mother’s body could potentially favor the successful development of a female or male embryo.

Published in the Journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, the study showed a link between high-energy intake during the time of conception and the birth of male babies. While the difference is not huge, it this study may be enough to explain the falling birthrate of baby boys in industrialized countries, including the U.S. and Britain.

The study has not yet to discover the reason food intake could influence the development of an infant’s sex, but in vitro fertilization studies, researchers and doctors say that high levels of glucose encourage the growth of male embryos, while inhibiting female embryos.

“It may be that male embryos are less viable in women who regularly limit food intake, such as skipping breakfast, which is known to depress glucose levels. A low glucose level may be interpreted by the body as indicating poor environmental conditions and low food availability,” researchers said.

The study involved 740 first-time pregnant women in Britain, who have no idea if their unborn child is male or female. The researchers analyzed the records of mothers’ eating habits during the first trimester of their pregnancy and based on this data, estimated the mothers’ calorie intake at the time of conception. 56% of women who ate the most gave birth to sons, while 45% of women who ate the least gave birth to daughters.

As well as consuming more calories, women who had sons were more likely to have eaten a higher quantity and wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12. There was also a strong correlation between women eating breakfast cereals and producing sons.

Since the data used are self-reported food intake, researchers say this analysis could be unreliable. However, this study explains the consistent decline in the proportion of boys born over the last 40 years in industrialized countries.

In animals, mostly sons are produced when a mother has plenty food resources, or ranks high in the group.