Dear Doctor,

I am pregnant and cannot wait to know the sex of my baby. At what stage in pregnancy can I go for the scan?

Edna

Dear Edna,

It is possible to know the gender of the baby in early pregnancy as early as 8 weeks via ultrasound examination of the pregnant uterus. But accuracy of interpretation increases with advancement of pregnancy say about 24 weeks and after. Interpretation of the baby’s gender through ultrasound can vary depending on the position of the baby at the time of the test.

A blood test using a drop of blood from the mother’s fingers to analyse the chromosomal status of an utero baby is also available. But it may give false information, particularly if the woman has had an abortion recently or has received blood or bone marrow transplantation. It is advisable that you wait till about 6 months of pregnancy to find out the sex of the baby.

Dr Rachna Pande  is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital