The amount of baby boys produced by a fertility treatment called ICSI may be less than what is created naturally, a new study says.
Normally, there are 105 boys conceived for every 100 girls. However, the new research discovered that this boy-to-girl ratio is inverted when ICSI is used.
In the 15,000 U.S. babies born in 2005 through fertility treatments, it was discovered that ICSI resulted in a small amount of boys.
In couples that used ICSI, less than 50% were boys.
ICSI occurs when sperm is injected straight into eggs pulled from the mother; the fertilized eggs are then moved to the mother’s uterus.
The full connotations of the research is unclear, say the researchers, presided over by Dr. Barbara Luke of Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Despite the need for further research, the scientists say, “because our findings suggest that ICSI may reduce the sex ratio, we recommend that ICSI only be done if medically necessary, in an effort to prevent this potential side effect.”
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