Science Past from the issue of August 29, 1959

Fetal sex still unknown — Expectant mothers still face the ancient and perplexing problem of whether to knit blue or pink booties, despite the advances of this scientific age. Although scientists appear to be near to perfecting a reliable method of predicting the sex of unborn babies, the present “wait and see” policy remains the best. One of the latest scientific methods … involves analyzing the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman. No claims have yet been made as to its accuracy.… The persistent belief that the male baby would be brighter or stronger or more active during pregnancy dominated the thinking of people down through the ages. Even today there is the saying that an active fetus will be a boy.

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