Scientists in the US have claimed this week that parents-to-be may be able to predict the sex of their unborn child by the way the pregnant mum smells.
In the study, which was carried out on lemurs, researchers found that the animals gave out a different scent depending on whether they were expecting a boy or a girl.
This finding, they claim, demonstrates that expectant mothers’ pheromones change depending on the gender of their baby.
Carried out at the Duke Lemur Centre in Durham, North Carolina, the study’s findings were made after scientists collected and examined secretions made during and after the creatures’ pregnancies.
Commenting on the finding, professor of evolutionary anthropology Christina Drea said that while the research is in its early stages, it could be significant for human pregnancies, too.
“It’s a big change. When lemurs are pregnant with boys versus girls, their hormone profiles are very different. A woman’s scent changes when she’s pregnant from when she’s not pregnant,” she said.
We’ll be looking forward to seeing if this holds any significance for us mums and mums-to-be.
