Is sex at birth a biological coin toss? Insights from a longitudinal and GWAS analysis

★

☆

SHARE

Overview

Paper Summary

Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

Good to know

Topic Hierarchy

File Information

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title

Sex at Birth: Not a Coin Toss, But Mom's Genes Play a Role!

This study found that offspring sex at birth doesn't follow a simple coin toss probability within families, with children's sex clustering more than expected. Maternal age at first birth and genetics are linked to having single-sex offspring, suggesting both biological and behavioral factors are involved.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Weaknesses

Limited generalizability due to homogeneous sample

The study population consisted of predominantly white women (95%) residing in the United States, which may not be generalizable to other populations due to cultural, religious, or socioeconomic factors influencing sex preferences and stopping behaviors.

Lack of data on paternal factors

The study lacked data on the biological fathers, including paternal age and other potential paternal factors, potentially overlooking their contribution to offspring sex.

Potential for unmeasured confounding

Although the study considered infertility treatments, other unmeasured factors related to the couples (e.g., stress levels, environmental exposures, specific lifestyle aspects) could influence the sex of their offspring and may confound the observed associations.

Exclusion of non-live births

The study analyzed live births only, excluding multiple births, stillbirths, and miscarriages, which could influence the overall distribution of offspring sex within and between families.

Rating Explanation

This is a well-conducted study with a large sample size, robust statistical methods, and intriguing findings about sex clustering. The beta-binomial distribution modeling and GWAS analysis provide valuable insights into the complex interplay of genetics, biology, and behavior in determining offspring sex within families. The identified limitations are acknowledged and do not negate the significant contributions of this research.

Good to know

This is our free standard analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.

Explore Pro →