[Science Daily]

Finding out the sex of a baby during pregnancy could lead to better life chances, a new Cambridge study has discovered.

Male baby pregnancies are more likely to result in complications, possibly because they grow faster in the womb and require more nutrients and oxygen than supplied by the mother through the placenta — the temporary organ that attaches to the wall of the uterus during pregnancy to help the fetus grow and develop.

Now scientists have discovered the sex of a fetus can affect how well the placenta actually functions along with factors such as diet-induced maternal obesity and stress, after studying pregnancies in lab mice.

Around one in 10 women are affected by pregnancy disorders, such as fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia — a life-threatening high blood pressure condition for both mother and child — but these can be difficult to predict and treat.

Read the Rest of this Article on Science Daily