Can high temperatures influence the sex of your baby?

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential impact of high temperatures on the sex ratio at birth, particularly in the context of climate change in India.

We know by now that extreme heat can impact pregnancies in many ways. And with climate change contributing to extreme heat in India – and with parts of the country already reeling under scorching heat – this has become a significant health concern. But what do we know about temperature and its link with sex ratio at birth? Can exposure to intense heat during pregnancy influence whether you have a boy or a girl? A recent research paper seems to suggest it might – it shows that high temperatures in the months before birth, could be linked with fewer male births. Guest: Jasmin Abdel Ghany, Nuffield Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow in Sociology, Nuffield College, Oxford and lead author of the research paper Host: Zubeda Hamid Producer: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Guest: Jasmin Abdel Ghany

Topics covered

• climate change
• pregnancy
• sex ratio
• extreme heat
• health concern

Keywords

• high temperatures
• sex of baby
• pregnancy
• climate change
• male births

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nuffield College, The Hindu

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