Mums-to-be are asking strangers to guess their baby’s sex by posting scan pictures online… and the craze is sweeping the internet
Some experts believe the gender can be guessed at just 12 weeks!
MUMS-TO-BE are asking strangers to guess their baby’s sex by posting scan pictures online, in a new trend sweeping the internet.
Traditional medical scans won’t determine whether a baby is male or female until the 20 week mark, but some experts suggest you can make a reasonable guess at just 12 weeks.
The predictions are based on analysing the skull shape and ‘nub’ area between the foetus’ legs.
At 12 weeks, the chin of a male foetus is likely to be more square, while it’s likely to have a chunkier skull shape and more pronounced brow ridge.
A female foetus, on the other hand, is likely to have a smaller brow ridge and more pointy chin.
Another telling sign: foetuses with a ‘nub’ in between the legs that’s angled at greater than 30 degrees are likely to be boys, while girls' nubs sits below 30 degrees.
The fast-growing trend has seen an explosion in dedicated online 'nub and skull' forums where medics guess the infant's sex.
According to a study by parenting site , 45 per cent of pregnant women now have a go at predicting their baby’s gender using the method.
ChannelMum.com gender expert Lisa Lum said: “The Nub and Skull theory is the fastest-growing gender prediction technique simply because it’s so social.
''Three quarters of mums who try it say they like getting other people’s opinions on their child’s sex while 30 per cent see it as a worldwide craze they like to be part of.
''While no non-medical technique is 100 per cent accurate, it’s fun and brings people together, which is exactly what children should do at all ages.”
According to the study, almost half of parents try the nub method to predict their baby’s sex, while over a quarter looked at the shape of their baby’s skull to make a guess.
Overall, the study of 1,275 parents found three quarters of mums and dads want to find out their unborn baby’s sex.
And one in ten mums said studying the scan picture with strangers helps them bond with their baby.
However, the most popular method remains asking a midwife at the 20-week scan, with 63 per cent of mums quizzing medical staff on their child’s sex.
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