Should we trust ultrasound to tell us the sex of a foetus?

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Extract from the article: Knowing the sex of a child before it is born is a concern for parents preparing to welcome a newborn. But the subject often causes confusion and problems for both parents and healthcare staff if an ultrasound scan is carried out incorrectly or misint

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Knowing the sex of a child before it is born is a concern for parents preparing to welcome a newborn. But the subject often causes confusion and problems for both parents and healthcare staff if an ultrasound scan is carried out incorrectly or misinterpreted. Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Etiam Koffi Sowu, Director of Bethesda Hospital in Agou Nyogbo (Kpalimé), explains the general conditions under which ultrasound scans can produce good results.

Many fathers have found themselves stunned when their newborns were delivered. Some of those questioned said that after the ultrasound scan, the doctors or gynaecologists informed them that the child was male or female. But when the baby is born, the opposite happens.

A retired Papa Godwin testifies that in 2022, at the end of September, his wife had an ultrasound scan in the 7th month of pregnancy to find out the sex of the child. The doctor said that the child was probably « female ». « We bought clothes for a girl. When the baby was born, we were surprised to see a boy », he says. This question often causes problems for the midwives. « The parents come straight to us and accuse us of changing the baby, but it's not true. It was the sonographer who misled them.  We had nothing to do with it », defends one midwife. Some women who have given birth think that X person or Y person has come to change the child.

According to obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Etiam Koffi Sowu, Director of Bethesda Hospital in Agou Nyogbo (Kpalimé), ultrasound is a radiology test of great importance, especially for monitoring pregnancy. « During pregnancy, there is a minimum of three ultrasounds to be done: one in the first trimester between the 11th and 13th weeks of amenorrhoea, a second from the 20th to 22nd weeks and a third between the 30th and 32nd weeks », he explains.

According to Dr Etiam Koffi Sowu, from the 20th to the 22nd week of amenorrhoea, we talk about a morphological ultrasound. « The aim of this scan is to look for malformations in the foetus between the 4th and 5th months.It's normally at this time that the parents should be told the sex of the child, if they want to know, of course », he explains.

Now to the question: should we trust ultrasound to determine the sex of the child? Dr Etiam Koffi Sowu points to several factors. « Firstly, the quality of the equipment. Is the device that the gynaecologist uses efficient or is he himself experienced in the field?Because these days there are different types of equipment.There is the first generation, 2nd G, 3rd G and the latest generation (3D, 4D). With 3D or 4D, when you see the image of the echo, it's like seeing the image of a child in front of you. The obstetrician then focuses on the position of the foetus.  When you do an ultrasound and the baby is on its back, or its hands or its cord are between its legs, it will be difficult to identify the sex », explains Dr Etiam Sowu.

The obstetric gynaecologist points out that all these conditions can sometimes lead to a misdiagnosis of the child's sex. « The conditions have to be right, and the person doing the scan has to be experienced to know how to move the child to get a good look at the sex.Even the equipment has to perform well, as does the quantity of amniotic fluid », explains the specialist.

Finally, according to Dr Sowu, if the ultrasound is done late, for example in the 9th month of pregnancy, it is difficult to determine the sex because the amniotic fluid is minimal.

William O.