What Is the Ramzi Theory and Does It Really Work?
The moment a home pregnancy test shows a positive result, many moms-to-be can't wait to start shopping for baby clothes and decorating the nursery — and get the go-ahead to buy lacy dresses or an adorable newborn-size suit and tie. No wonder you can find all sorts of ways online to predict your baby's gender.
One that you may come across out there is the Ramzi theory. But is this method accurate, or it is an old wives’ tale like many other ways to guess your baby's sex?
What is the Ramzi theory?
The Ramzi theory or Ramzi method is based on the notion that the position of the placenta can predict if you're carrying a boy or girl as early as week 6 of pregnancy.
Dr. Saad Ramzi Ismail developed this theory by examining the development and location of the placenta, specifically its finger-like projections known as the chorionic villi.
Supposedly, his data showed that a placenta developing on the left indicated that the baby was a girl, while a placenta developing on the right meant it was a boy.
When can you try the Ramzi theory to find out your baby’s sex?
You can use the Ramzi theory starting when you’re about 6 weeks pregnant, when the first ultrasound is sometimes done.
However, many practitioners don’t recommend having your first ultrasound until your second trimester, between weeks 18 and 22 of pregnancy.
Is the Ramzi theory accurate?
If you asked Dr. Ismail, he'd tell you that his theory is accurate. But his results have not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. And members of the medical community — including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — do not endorse this method.
Initial studies on the Ramzi method do not support that idea that the location of a women’s placenta in the first trimester canpredict a baby’s sex. Most trials have used small population samples, and any correlations were not significant.
It's also important to know that your baby's sex organs don't begin to develop until about week 7 or 8 of pregnancy. Therefore, it's difficult to predict how a baby's reproductive system will develop before or around that time.
Can I try the Ramzi method to find out my baby’s sex in the first trimester?
That said, as long as your obstetrician okays an ultrasound in your first trimester, you can certainly ask where your placenta is and try the Ramzi method to predict your baby's sex. Just keep in mind that the odds your Ramzi theory results will be right are about the same as chance: 50/50.
For a more accurate way to determine your baby’s sex, you’ll need to wait a few more weeks (we know it's hard, but you can do it!). Between 10 and 13 weeks, doctors can perform a chorionic villus sampling (CVS), a diagnostic test that analyzes your baby’s genetic makeup, including sex.
Or as early as 10 weeks, a quick blood draw can be analyzed for common chromosomal disorders. This noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) also reveals your baby’s sex.
However, these tests are more common with higher-risk pregnancies, so your provider may not recommend them. If you are lower risk, you may have to wait until week 13 of pregnancy, when a nuchal translucency sonogram is sometimes done, or the second trimester ultrasound, which typically happens between 18 and 22 weeks, to learn your baby's sex.It's common to want to know your baby's sex ASAP. But if you decide to try the Ramzi theory, hold off on buying paint for the nursery. The Ramzi method is not proven to work, so there’s only a 50 percent chance that the results will be accurate. As tough as it is, it's better to wait until a later ultrasound to confirm if your little one is a boy or a girl.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
- What to Expect When You're Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
- WhatToExpect.com, Predicting Baby’s Gender, October 2019.
- WhatToExpect.com, Ultrasound During Pregnancy, April 2021.
- WhatToExpect.com, Fetal Development: Your Baby's Sex, April 2019.
- WhatToExpect.com, 9 Scientific Hints to Predict the Sex of Your Baby, February 2020.
- WhatToExpect.com, Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS), April 2021.
- WhatToExpect.com, Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), December 2020.
- WhatToExpect.com, 20 Weeks Pregnant, August 2020.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIPT: Beyond the Basics, November 2015.
- Contemporary OB/GYN, The Relationship Between Placental Location and Fetal Gender (Ramzi’s Method), October 2020.
- National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, What Is Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) and What Disorders Can It Screen For?, November 2020.
- Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, The Association Between Placental Location in the First Trimester and Fetal Sex, May 2019.
- Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, P18.17: The Role of Placental Location Assessment in the Prediction of Fetal Gender, December 2010.
The Ramzi Theory: Is It for Real?
In most cases, you can find out the sex of your baby about halfway during your pregnancy — between 16 and 20 weeks — during a structural ultrasound. But what if you want to know sooner?
There are many reasons why you might want to know sooner. You may want to get a head start decorating a nursery or registering for a baby shower.
Finding out early can also help you prepare if your baby might have a congenital or genetic disorder. Some disorders are linked to whether the baby is a boy or a girl. If your family has a genetic history of one of a particular disorder, you might be interested in finding out the sex as soon as possible.
Dr. Saam Ramzi Ismail developed the Ramzi theory. It’s also sometimes called Ramzi’s method or the Ramzi theory or method.
Dr. Ismail claims it can determine fetal sex by as early as 6 weeks into a pregnancy using a 2-D ultrasound. But just how sound is this theory?
What is the Ramzi theory?
According to this theory, Dr. Ismail tried to determine if there was a relationship between a baby’s sex and how and where the placenta formed. He did this by looking at the laterality of placental/chorionic villi. These are the hairlike formations that make up the placenta.
However, this method of determining sex hasn’t been confirmed by peer-reviewed research. A peer-reviewed journal is where established medical studies are published so their validity can be reviewed by other scientists and doctors.
Still, it’s become a very popular topic of discussion among women who are pregnant. Many women are posting screenshots from their early ultrasounds to see if anyone can guess their baby’s sex using the Ramzi theory.
Does it work?
Is there a scientific basis for the Ramzi theory? The short answer is no. There’ve been no further studies on using placenta placement to predict sex as early as 6 weeks. So, doctors remain skeptical.
“The Ramzi theory sounds too good to be true, as many point out. It may not have any real scientific validity,” said Dr. Sherry Ross, OB-GYN and women’s health expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
She also notes that the sex organs begin to form in an embryo at 4 weeks. “It would be really amazing to learn that someone could find out this information only two weeks later, with a 97 percent accuracy rate,” she said.
So, what’s the consensus?
“The important take-home message about the Ramzi theory is that couples should not make any premature decisions at 6 weeks about the fate of the embryo,” Dr. Ross said.
If you’re concerned about genetic abnormalities based on sex, use one of the accepted genetic tests.
The most accurate way of determining sex has always been through checking the chromosomes of the baby. This has traditionally been done through invasive tests, such chorionic villi sampling performed between 11 and 14 weeks, or amniocentesis performed at about 16 weeks.
There’s also a new, noninvasive that might determine a baby’s sex by as early as 9 weeks. This is cost-effective and not a risk to baby or maternal health.
The primary indication for performing this test is to provide information on the baby’s risk for chromosomal disorders, including Down syndrome. The test isn’t used as simply a sex determination test, unless there’s concern for sex-linked disorders.
The Ramzi theory: Does it work?
What is the Ramzi theory?
The Ramzi theory (also called Ramzi's method) claims that you can predict a baby's sex as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy by using images from an ultrasound. There's no evidence that it works, and mainstream experts dismiss it.
Some expecting moms like to try it anyway, just for kicks, but the chances of this technique correctly predicting your baby's sex is about 50/50 – no better than just guessing.
According to the theory, the placement of your developing placenta – which must be determined in a very precise way – can reveal your baby's sex.
If your placenta is forming on the right side of your uterus, the baby is most likely a boy, the theory claims.
If it's forming on the left side, it's probably a girl.
Where does the Ramzi theory come from?
The Ramzi theory appears to have started with a research paper published on the website ObGyn.net in 2011. The paper doesn't include an author's name or affiliation, but elsewhere the theory has been attributed to a Dr. Saad Ramzi Ismail. It's unclear who this is and what his credentials are.
ObGyn.net is owned by a media company and describes itself as an online community for medical professionals. It is not a peer-reviewed medical journal. That means research published on the site has not undergone the rigorous process of being reviewed by other scientists or medical experts to make sure it's scientifically valid.
According to the paper, more than 5,000 women got an ultrasound at 6 weeks pregnant to see which side of the uterus the placenta was forming on. Then the women got another ultrasound at 18 to 20 weeks to find out the sex of their baby. (This is when healthcare providers can usually figure out whether a baby is a boy or girl by looking at the baby's genitals.)
The paper says the location of the placenta corresponded with the baby's sex – right for a boy, left for a girl – 97 percent of the time.
Is there evidence to back up the Ramzi method?
No. Other researchers have tackled the topic, and there's no conclusive evidence to support the theory at this point. But there is evidence to disprove it. An Australian study published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology tested the theory and found no relationship between the location of the placenta and a baby's sex.
Professional medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), don't recognize the Ramzi theory. An ACOG spokesperson says it's "quite unlikely" that placental location could give an indication of a fetus's sex.
Can I try the Ramzi method to guess my baby's sex?
Sure, there's no harm in trying the Ramzi method for fun. But it's a bad idea to make any important decisions or purchases based on the results.
Also, you may not get an ultrasound until later in your pregnancy. Some doctors and midwives recommend ultrasounds as early as 6 weeks to confirm and date the pregnancy, but others only do them this early when they suspect a problem such as a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
If you have an ultrasound in your first trimester, you can ask the sonographer which side your placenta is forming on. Without training, you might misinterpret what you see.
If you want, you can post your early ultrasound photos to a gender prediction group in the BabyCenter Community and ask others to weigh in on whether your baby might be a boy or girl according to the Ramzi theory and other (unproven) methods of determining sex.
Read about factors that can influence your chances of having a boy or a girl, or try some just-for-fun gender predictor tests.
What are proven ways to find out my baby's sex during pregnancy?
If you want to know whether you're having a boy or a girl, your best shot is usually the mid-pregnancy ultrasound between 16 and 20 weeks. At that point, your baby's genitals are developed enough for the sonographer to see – unless your baby is hiding them.
There are other prenatal tests that can tell you the sex, though these are meant to detect chromosomal abnormalities.
The tests are:
- Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT): This is a blood test that can detect Down syndrome and a few other chromosomal conditions at 10 weeks. It's approximately 99 percent accurate at determining a baby's sex.
- Chorionic villus sampling (CVS):For this test, a doctor takes a sample of cells from your placenta and sends it to a lab for genetic analysis. Usually done between 10 and 13 weeks, the test can detect a host of chromosomal abnormalities and your baby's sex, but it comes with a slight risk of miscarriage.
- Amniocentesis: This test involves taking a sample of the fluid surrounding your baby in the uterus, known as the amniotic fluid. It's usually performed between 16 and 20 weeks to detect chromosomal abnormalities. Like CVS, amnio can tell you your baby's sex and carries a slight risk of miscarriage.
What Is Ramzi Theory?
One of the most anticipated moments in pregnancy is learning the sex of your baby. Using the Ramzi theory (also called the Ramzi method) is an alternative way some people try to predict a baby's gender before the fetus is far enough along to test with traditional methods.
It's important to note that this theory is not a proven method of determining the sex of your baby.
Learn more about the background and accuracy of the Ramzi theory, along with other ways to determine the sex of your baby.
Ramzi Theory Explained
Ramzi theory suggests that a healthcare provider can use ultrasound images to detect the fetus's gender as early as six weeks' gestation.
The creator of the Ramzi theory, Saam Ramzi Ismail, claims the placement of the placenta in the uterus can reveal the sex of the baby. The theory suggests that:
- If the placenta implants on the right side, the baby's sex is male.
- If the placenta implants on the left side, then the baby's sex is female.
The ultrasound poses no risk to the mother or baby.
Accuracy of Ramzi Theory
Proponents of the Ramzi theory suggest there is a high accuracy rate. However, the accuracy of the Ramzi theory is not proven. There have been limited studies on its effectiveness, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) doesn't support it.
Fetal sex organs begin developing around nine weeks' gestation. A primary problem some experts have with the Ramzi theory is it claims to detect a child's sex at six weeks' gestation, which is before the sex organs are even formed.
Other Ways to Determine Gender
The most accurate ways to determine the gender of your baby before birth is through:
- A prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening: This can detect gender with high accuracy if you can't wait until your second trimester ultrasound.
- An ultrasound: Once the genitals are fully developed, they can be viewed via ultrasound.
During a prenatal cell-free DNA screening, DNA from the mother and fetus is extracted from a maternal blood sample and screened for the increased chance of specific chromosome disorders, such as Down syndrome.
People can opt for this test in the latter part of the first trimester (about 10 weeks of pregnancy or later). As a bonus, the cell-free DNA screening test picks up small pieces of the male sex chromosome in the mother's blood, which indicates if the baby is a boy or not.
It takes about a week to get the results.
Ultrasound is another option to reliably tell the sex of a baby. Pregnant people normally have an anatomy ultrasound at 20 weeks' gestation. The doctor checks to ensure the following:
- The baby's organs and body structures are normal.
- The baby is growing at a normal rate.
- The placenta appears healthy and well-positioned.
You can also most likely learn your baby's gender—if you choose—on the spot since by then the genitals are formed.
While neither test is a foolproof way to detect gender, they are highly reliable and well-regarded among gynecologists.
The Ramzi theory is not a proven method of determining the sex of your baby. If you want to find out the sex of your baby, a blood test or ultrasound once the genitals are developed are the most accurate methods.
A Word From Verywell
Determining the sex of your baby can be important for curiosity or medical reasons. While some believe in the Ramzi theory, be sure to check with your ob-gyn to ensure you are getting the most accurate test for your circumstances.
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McFadzen M, Dielentheis D, Kasten R, Singh M, Grundle J. Maternal intuition of fetal gender. Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews. 2017;4(3):125-130. doi:10.17294/2330-0698.1454
Cleveland Clinic. Fetal development: Stages of growth. Updated April 16, 2020.
American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Prenatal genetic screening. June 2020.
Cleveland Clinic. Pregnancy: Prenatal ultrasonagraphy. Jan. 1, 2018
Can Ramzi Theory predict your baby’s sex?
Ramzi Theory (also known as the Ramzi Method) is a way of predicting from an early ultrasound scan (as early as 6 weeks) whether your baby-to-be is a boy or a girl – by looking at where the placenta is situated in your uterus.
If the placenta is placed on your right, you’re having a boy; if it’s placed on your left, you’re having a girl. Well, that’s how the theory goes – and, say its fans, the method is “97% accurate”.
But is there any truth in it?
We asked Professor Christoph Lees, Professor of Obstetrics at Imperial College London, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He told us:
The ‘Ramzi’ theory is apparently based on a relationship between the baby’s sex and how and whether the placenta is on the left or the right of the womb, with claims that it can be effective from 6 weeks. There is no scientific research behind this and, given that many placentas are neither on the left nor the right side, it is highly improbable that this has any validity at all.Professor Christoph Lees, Professor of Obstetrics at Imperial College London
We also explained the theory to our expert GP Dr Philippa Kaye and she said: “There is no scientific evidence to support the Ramzi Method: the only ways to know your baby’s sex before birth are to pay for a private NIPT test or to ask your sonographer to tell you after looking at its genitals on your 18 to 22-week scan.”
What’s the ‘science’ behind the Ramzi Theory?
People first started talking about the Ramzi Theory after a study, carried out by Dr Saam Ramzi Ismail, was published online on Obgyn.net.com, a US-based website run by the private medical company MJH Life Sciences.
In the study, Dr Izmail describes looking at at the laterality of chorionic villi, the hairlike formations that make up the placenta, on a group of 6-week ultrasounds and, after at checking the baby’s confirmed sex at a 20-week ultrasound, concludes that his method is accurate for 97.2% of baby boys and 97.5% of baby girls.
At first glance, it seems to be convincing research: it talks about studying 5,376 women who had pregnancy scans from 1997 to 2007, for a start – and that’s a substantial number.
But then, if you read on, you see that only in 22% of that number were “trans-vaginal sonograms performed… at 6 weeks’ gestation, and [then] trans-abdominal sonograms performed at 18 to 20 weeks gestation” to confirm the baby’s sex.
So that takes the number of women actually studied down to 1,182.
What’s more, it seems that Dr Ramzi isn’t actually a qualified doctor. According to an interview on the bottlesoup website, he has, instead, a PhD in Public Health and a master’s degree in medical ultrasounds.
And finally – and most importantly of all, we think – this study has not been published in any mainstream scientific journals, where, as part of the publication process, it would have been ‘peer-reviewed’: scrutinised by doctors or scientists with expertise in this area to check it for its methodology, quality and accuracy.
Nor have there been any other published studies, corroborating or following up on Dr Ismail’s findings – which is unusual for a supposedly ‘breakthrough’ study of this kind.
I still want to try Ramzi Theory: how does it work?
Even though the Ramzi Method isn’t corroborated by experts, we reckon there will still be some of you who want to give it a go – just for fun – to see what it predicts for your baby.
The 1st thing to do, obviously, is to spot where your placenta is on your scan pic. Look for a bright area around your pregnancy sac (the dark area at the centre of your scan, that’s surrounding your baby-to-be). It’s not always obvious and, to be really sure, you’re best off asking your sonographer to show you where the placenta is while your scan is being done.
The most important thing to know, when you’re looking at the scan pic, is that if you’ve had an abdominal ultrasound (the one where the sonographer puts a hand-held transducer on and over your belly), then the pic is a mirror image – so if the placenta is on the right in the pic, it’s on the left in real life. You can see this in the pic below, taken from 1 of the many YouTube videos that explain the Ramzi Theory.
Remember that it’s not scientifically proven – but have fun working out what the Ramzi Theory predicts for you!
Top pic: Getty
Ramzi Theory: How to predict your baby’s gender at just 6 weeks gestation
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The Ramzi Theory claims it can predict a baby’s gender at just 6 weeks, so you don’t have to wait 20 weeks to find out if you’re having a boy or girl.
The theory can be over 97% accurate. However, there’s a catch.
Like the popular Nub Theory, you need an ultrasound scan photo to try the Ramzi Theory. But this method only works if you have a scan before you are nine weeks pregnant. This is because it uses the placement of the placenta to help guess your baby’s gender and if you’re past nine weeks it is considered too late to use Ramzi’s theory, as it is impossible to tell where the placenta originally implanted. Not everyone will be offered a scan early on in their pregnancy. Most mums-to-be are offered scans at 12 and 20 weeks pregnant.
The NHS rarely offer an ultrasound scan before 8-12 weeks pregnant, however some people choose to pay privately for a viability scan that can be done between 6 and 10 weeks to check whether a pregnancy is developing normally.
If you don’t have a scan photo in the early weeks of your pregnancy, you can still try and predict your baby’s gender using astrology and the ancient Chinese Birth Chart, or there’s also a ton of old wives tales about pregnancy that can help you guess if you’re carrying a boy or a girl.
But, if you do get a scan photo early on, here’s how to predict your baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks gestation using the Ramzi Theory:
What is the Ramzi Theory?
Also known as Ramzi’s method, the Ramzi Theory claims to be able to determine if your baby is a boy or girl by as early as six weeks, instead of the usual 20 weeks, using a 2D ultrasound picture to see which side the placenta is on.
If the placenta is on the right side, then you are believed to be having a boy. But if the placenta is on the left then there is a high likelihood that the child will be a girl.
How does the Ramzi Theory work?
The key is to look for a bright area around the sac, the large cavity of fluid surrounding the embryo, where the placenta is going to start growing. Ideally you need a medical professional who is familiar with the Ramzi theory to help interpret the scan results for you.
Your doctor may be able to help by pointing out the placenta for you. (Credit: Getty)
According to the theory, if your placenta has implanted on the left side of your body, there is a 97.5% chance you are having a girl. If your placenta is on the right side of your body, there is a 97.2% chance you are having a boy.
However, not all scans are performed the same and the positioning of the placenta will depend on whether it is an abdominal or transvaginal scan. Images may be ‘flipped’ or ‘mirrored’ if it is an abdominal scan, meaning the left side is actually the right. But if it is a transvaginal scan then the placenta will appear on the ‘same side’.
When doesn’t The Ramzi Theory work?
It can be much more difficult to determine the position of the placenta if you’re carrying twins or multiple foetuses. In these cases, the results may not be accurate.
In this ultrasound of a twin pregnancy at approximately four weeks gestation, it’s difficult to determine the position of the placenta in the picture. (Credit: Getty)
Also some experts are not convinced that the Ramzi theory is entirely accurate.
“Many people tend to believe that you can guess based on which side the placenta is forming, but it really is just a 50/50 chance of an accurate prediction,” Eliza Flynn from Biamother, says.
“In addition to this, each expectant mother carries their baby differently, and every baby develops at a different speed, therefore images may not be accurate. For example, the development of a baby at 8 weeks and 3 days, could actually be the same as another baby at 7 weeks, 6 days, so it is hard to make an accurate prediction. The main theory is dependent on which side your placenta is on; if the placenta is on your right, it is a girl, and if it is on the left, it’s a boy.
“However, there is no scientific evidence to back this up and it is highly unlikely that this theory has any validity.”
Video of the Week
But, you could still use other methods to try and work out if you’re carrying a baby boy or a baby girl before your 20 week scan.
The Skull Theory can be tried once you have your 12 weeks scan, or if you develop a natural line on your stomach during your pregnancy (known as the Linea Nigra) then this is also apparently a good indicator if you might have a boy or girl.
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What is the Ramzi theory?
The Ramzi theory is a strategy for using the location of the placenta during early pregnancy ultrasounds to predict the sex of a baby.
Some people claim on online message boards that the method is as much as 97% reliable. Proponents refer to a study that involved a large number of ultrasounds. However, that study has not undergone peer review, and Dr. Saam Ramzi Ismail, who put his name to the theory, did not publish his research in a peer reviewed journal.
No major medical organization recognizes the theory as valid, and a in a peer reviewed journal disputes the notion that placental location correlates with sex.
What is the Ramzi theory?
Sex differentiation — the process by which embryos begin developing male or female structures — begins early in development, usually about into the pregnancy. Proponents of the Ramzi theory argue that this means that it is theoretically possible to detect early indicators of sex well before a mid-pregnancy ultrasound might reveal this information.
The theory began with an ultrasound study of 5,376 pregnant people who had ultrasounds at either 6 or 18–22 weeks of pregnancy. However, just 1,200 participants had both ultrasound scans.
Researchers were able to see the external genitalia in 99% of male fetuses and 98% of female fetuses during the second trimester ultrasound. They found that 97.2% of male fetuses had a placenta on the right side of the uterus during the early ultrasound at 6 weeks, while 97.5% of fetuses had a placenta on the left side of the uterus.
Drawing on this data, they concluded that a placenta on the right side usually indicates a male fetus, while a placenta on the left side is a sign that a fetus is female. This distinction is the basis of the Ramzi theory.
Does it work?
Ramzi’s data support the theory and look compelling. However, taken in context, the Ramzi method falls short.
Many message boards feature stories of people who used the Ramzi method to predict the sex of their baby correctly. Any sex prediction method has a 50% chance of being right, though, so anecdotal evidence is not reliable.
In addition, there are several problems. First, there is no reason to believe that sex alone would change the location of the placenta. Ramzi does not provide any basis for this apparent difference. There is no evidence that sex-related hormones might move the placenta or influence its development or location.
Ramzi’s credentials are also questionable. Ramzi is not a medical doctor, but a doctor of public health. He has a master’s degree in medical ultrasounds. These credentials may not be sufficient for him to perform the sort of medical research that he has popularized.
Even discounting these two issues, however, no reputable scientist has replicated Ramzi’s results. This fact calls into question whether the data are real, and whether Ramzi correctly interpreted them.
Ramzi did not publish his research in a peer reviewed scientific journal, so doctors and other scientists have not been able to dig into the data or identify problems with the methodology.
A used methods similar to those in Ramzi’s study to track fetal sex in 277 pregnancies. The researchers did not find a relationship between placental location and fetal sex. Instead, they noted that the location of the placenta varied in babies of both sexes.
The study did, however, find a relationship between early assessment of the genitals in the first trimester and biological sex. Using ultrasound, clinicians guessed the sex of fetuses based on their early genital development. They correctly predicted the sex of 103 of 108 fetuses (95%). This result suggests that early viewing of the genitals offers more accurate results than the Ramzi method.
For people eager to learn the sex of their baby, there is a first trimester alternative. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) uses the pregnant person’s blood to make a reliable guess as to the sex of the baby. This procedure often takes place as early as 9 weeks into the pregnancy — only 3 weeks later than Ramzi’s method promises to provide results.
NIPT works by identifying DNA from the fetus in the pregnant person’s bloodstream. It is not 100% accurate, but nor is any other sex testing method.
For those who can wait a little longer to find out, a second trimester ultrasound offers more certainty. A of 640 fetuses found a 100% accuracy rate in predicting sex when the ultrasound occurred later than 14 weeks into the pregnancy. It is rare for healthcare professionals to get the sex of the baby wrong during a second trimester ultrasound.
Pregnancy is a waiting game. Waiting to learn about the health of the baby, the baby’s sex, and much else about the pregnancy can cause immense anxiety. People have long turned to unreliable folk methods to try to determine the biological sex of fetuses. While the Ramzi method claims to rely on science, there is no evidence that it is reliable.
Individuals who wish to learn the sex of their baby early should ask their provider about NIPT. It may also be possible to schedule an early second trimester ultrasound to confirm the results.