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Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics
Is sex at birth a biological coin toss? Insights from a longitudinal and GWAS analysis
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Paper Summary
Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
Rating Explanation
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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.
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File Information
Original Title:
Is sex at birth a biological coin toss? Insights from a longitudinal and GWAS analysis
File Name:
sciadv.adu7402.pdf
[download]
File Size:
1.66 MB
Uploaded:
July 19, 2025 at 12:26 PM
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