Exposure to lead during pregnancy is actually related to having boys and girls?

A new study led by scientists at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan shows that higher levels of lead in a mother's blood are associated with greater odds of having male offspring

The study, published Jan.

From a demographic perspective, how many men per 100 women born is known as the second sex ratio (SSR), which is known to be sensitive to certain environmental toxins

The study recruited pregnant female participants from the ongoing Japan Environment and Children Study (JECS), sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Environment

Several analytical methods (logistic regression, sensitivity analysis, and binomial distribution analysis) were used to examine the relationship between maternal lead levels and SSR, and all three showed that higher maternal lead concentrations were associated with higher the higher the ratio

The finding may explain why Japan's male birth rate has been declining

This research has implications for public health

The researchers call for further research into the correlation between lead and sex ratio in offspring

The study's authors caution that because lead has toxic effects on the developing human brain, it must never be used as a means of trying to control the sex of offspring

article title

Effects of maternal exposure to lead on secondary sex ratio in Japan: The Japan Environment and Children's Study