EPISODE · May 4, 2026 · 22 MIN
Can high temperatures influence the sex of your baby?
from In Focus by The Hindu · host The Hindu
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
What this episode covers
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
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Can high temperatures influence the sex of your baby?
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