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Want a Boy? Adopt a Cat.
Posted by wizeGurl
(8789 views)      [E-Mail link]
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[Science]
[Pets] |
 If you've always wanted a boy, there's finally something you can do about it: get a cat, and make sure that Mommy-to-be does all the catbox cleaning. Scientists have found that toxoplasmosis, infection by a parasite spread by contact with cat feces, significantly increases the chances of having a baby boy.*
You could also just chow down on some raw beef or pork, but then you might get Mad Cow Disease or trichomoniasis instead of a boy. Plus, the cat will help chase away mice, and makes a nice face-warmer for those cold winter nights. |
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In most populations the birth rate is around 51% boys, but women infected with toxoplasma had up to a 72% chance of a boy. Toxoplasma causes congenital defects in newborns and can trigger miscarriages, but a link with the gender of newborns has never been identified before. The parasite may make it more likely for male embryos to survive.
Researchers in the Czech Republic collected medical records from 1,803 newborn babies between 1996 and 2004 and checked them for information on the mothers and babies including gender, the number of previous pregnancies, and the mother's levels of toxoplasma antibodies. The parasite, toxoplasma, infects around 15% of Britons, but up to 80% of the population in some countries.
Levels of the parasite infection were lower in Britain than in countries such as France and Belgium where rare and uncooked meat is popular. Previous studies of women have found signs of toxoplasma infection among 23% of Italians, 39% of Germans, 42% of Spaniards and Austrians, half of Belgians and 54% of French people.
In most cases the parasite is harmless in humans but it is still unclear what the infection does to people in the long term. |
More info.
* Note for stupid people: don't really try this at home. Toxoplasmosis increases the chances of birth defects and miscarriages, as we state above. You'd probably prefer a girl to a boy missing a few essential parts. |
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