Becoming the parents of a boy or girl

Nearly nine future parents out of 10 would like to find out the sex of their child before it is born. For their first child, 60% of parents have no preference.

Among the remaining 40%, preferences are equally divided among mothers (20% would like a girl and 21% a boy), but fathers are keener to have a boy (25.5% prefer a boy and 15% a girl).

For their second child, the proportion of parents without a preference is very slightly lower. The preferences of the remainder are highly dependent on the sex of the first child, as parents often wish to have mixed siblings.

One of the aims of this research project is to ascertain whether such preferences influence the start of parenthood.

Anticipate the birth by knowing the sex of the child - By Olivia Samuel (Ined)