PA
Mums-and-dads-to-be should not be told the sex of their baby until 30 weeks into their pregnancy, a doctor has said.
Dr. Rajendra Kale, editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, says keeping the sex from parents-to-be would prevent abortions being carried out on the basis of the child's gender.
He said this was a major issue in some Asian countries, where parents wanted sons rather than daughters.
Whilst agreeing that women have the right to information about their own health and medical care, Dr. Kale, who is from Mumbai, India, says this does not include the sex of the foetus, as this has no impact on the mother's care.
He said the only exception should be in cases of rare illnesses.
Writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Kale says: "A pregnant woman being told the sex of the foetus at ultrasonography at a time when an unquestioned abortion is possible is the starting point of sex selection."
In America, expectant mums usually have two scans, one at 18 weeks and one at 22 weeks into their pregnancy. In UK, mums-to-be have one at 12 weeks and another around 22 weeks, when you can ask to find out the sex.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada both agree that sex selection is unethical, but, reports the Daily Mail, they also say that not telling a woman who has asked the sex of her child is also unethical.
What do you think?
Do you agree with Dr. Kale, or is it a parent's right to know the sex of their baby if they want to?
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