There is a delicate balance between the numbers of baby boys and baby girls, with more boys than girls being born and which evens out as life takes its course. The major impact on how the sex of a baby is determined is the difference in the weight of the human sperms; sperm with the DNA package to make a baby girl are heavier than those with the DNA material to make a baby boy. As a result, more baby boys are born because boy sperm is more likely to get to the egg than a girl sperm with its heavier load.

Research has already indicated that unborn embryos in the womb are susceptible to airborne pollution. What is unclear is just what the effect is on human reproduction. In addition, pollution has been directly linked to elevated levels of birth defects and abnormalities as well as an increased incidence of miscarriage. A Brazilian research team based at Sao Paulo University did find that fewer baby boys were born in heavily polluted areas compared to less polluted areas where the ration between the sexes held to the norm. Research results from experimentation on mice have also replicated the Sao Paulo results. A medical conference held in Montreal, Canada was held by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine which held its annual meeting and discussed the latest findings.

It is clear that while baby girl sperm is a larger DNA package which may stands a slightly lower chance of fertilizing the human ova, it is far less susceptible to being damaged. Baby boy sperm on the other is relatively much more fragile and susceptible to harm from pollutants and external agents. This means that baby boys are much more likely to result in miscarriage, obstetric complications or simply not to make the grade in the race to fertilize the human egg in the first instance.

The Sao Paulo research team used birth registries for babies born between January 2001 and December 2003. In the most heavily polluted areas, the number of baby boys compared to the total was 50.7%, but this increased to the normal ratio of 51.7% in the least polluted parts of the study.

The Brazilian researchers then returned to the mice and compared the gender bias which resulted from exposing male “father” mice to high levels of pollution for the initial four months of their lives. A control group was also used which was protected from pollutants by the use of filtered air. After the four month exposure period, the mice were mated which led to baby mice being born in the ratio of 0.86 males to 1 female. In the control group which had not been exposed to pollution and used filtered air, the ration was a whopping 1.34 males to 1 female. In addition, the males who were exposed to pollution also demonstrated a reduced sperm count and issues with producing adequate quantities of sperm.

The question now is what the biological mechanism is that results in the decreased number of males. One theory is that sperm production is directly affected, whilst another believes the viability of the placenta is involved. What is beyond any doubt is that pollution most certainly affects the viability of having baby boys specifically, and having a baby generally.

Author Bio: Stevan Harrison is a freelance writer, who has researched many topics including air purifiers and hepa filters by RabbitAir.

Category: Family Concerns
Keywords: baby names, family, pollution, eco-friendly, environment