Human reproduction Stress city Nov 15th 2007 >From The Economist print edition The sex of a child may depend on how stressed its mother is
A BOY or a girl? That is usually the first question asked when a woman gives birth. Remarkably, the answer varies with where the mother lives. In rich countries the chances of its being a boy are about 5% higher than in poor ones. Equally remarkably, that figure has been falling recently. Several theories have been put forward to explain these observations. Some argue that smoking plays a role, others that diet may be important. Neither of these ideas has been supported by evidence from large studies. But new research points to a different factor: stress. [..] http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10130882&fsrc=RSS
