Many women yearn for a baby girl; often because they want the company of their own gender or they believe it will be easier to have a shared camaraderie with a daughter. Science shows that the gender of the baby is determined by the chromosomes in the male’s sperm. More specifically, the women’s egg contains the X chromosome and the male’s sperm contains both the X and Y chromosome — when the Y chromosome isn’t present, two X chromosomes match up and a baby girl is formed.
Despite this knowledge, there are a lot of theories out there on how to increase one’s odds of having a baby girl: from changing the position of intercourse, to consuming certain foods, to measuring ph levels; how effective these methods are is anyone’s guess. A surprising new study reveals a startling way in which a woman’s odds of having a baby girl is increased; and it pertains to her cardiovascular health.
Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Disease Basics
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is often used interchangeable with heart disease, however CVD describes a variety of disorders that affects the heart and blood vessels, and it includes not only heart disease but also atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, deep vein thrombosis and stroke. CVD is the number one killer of women worldwide; claiming the lives of 8.6 million annually. Cardiovascular disease and heart disease are most commonly caused by a narrowing and hardening of the arteries, which can largely be prevented by following some simple cardiac care basics such as eating a healthy diet, exercising and maintaining overall good health.
Heart Disease and the Impact on Gender
Researchers at the World Congress of Cardiology reviewed the gender of 216 babies who were born to women who had been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disorder such as heart disease. They found that 75% of the babies born to these women were female. Amongst these women, 64% were suffering with valvular disease, 19% with dilated cardiomyopathy and 14% with uncorrected or significant residual congenital heart disease.
Dr. A. Alizadehasl, from Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran, reports “We believe that this is the first study looking at the relationship between gender and the mother’s cardiac disease” “This is a very interesting observation. The chromosomes in a man’s sperm are responsible for the sex of a baby but this study does suggest that there may be a relationship between the health status of the mother and the sex of the babies that she is able to carry to full-term,” adds Dr. Kathryn Taubert, Chief Science Officer, World Heart Federation.
Although many women may desire a baby girl, it is probably safe to say that none of them would sacrifice their good health in order to increase their odds of having one. Proper cardiac care and good health are vitally important for a healthy pregnancy and the delivery of a healthy baby. In addition to exercising and eating a whole food based diet, you can reduce your risk for cardiac disease by quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake and maintaining a healthy weight. Finally, you can magnify the effects of this cardiac care lifestyle by emphasizing the following heart-supporting super foods — berries, cold-water fish, oatmeal, spinach and olive oil.
