They can make a mistake on the ultrasound with the sex of the child. Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby? What do the ultrasound results show? Why might the result be inaccurate?

The accuracy of ultrasound in determining the sex of the child is quite high: it is approximately 90%. The remaining 10% of errors can occur for various reasons. Let's find out how accurately ultrasound determines the sex of the baby and whether it is possible to influence the reliability of the diagnosis, taking into account various factors.

Can an ultrasound confuse the gender of a baby?

Is it possible to confuse the sex of the child on ultrasound? Of course, yes, and there are several reasons for this. Let's find out why ultrasound is wrong with the sex of the child:

1. Too little pregnancy. Despite the fact that the first ultrasound is recommended to be carried out in the first trimester of pregnancy, it is impossible to determine the sex of the baby at this time. During this period, the doctor identifies the estimated period of conception, looks at how the embryo develops. The fetus in the first trimester is quite small, and its genitals are not yet formed, so the doctor can easily give out the wrong gender of the baby on an ultrasound scan.
2. Insufficient experience of the doctor or poor-quality equipment. You can determine the sex of the child from the 20th to the 25th week of pregnancy. But provided that the diagnostic equipment is in proper condition, and the qualification of the doctor is high enough.
3. The child is in an uncomfortable position. In this case, errors in determining the sex of the child are not excluded, but if you undergo a 3D ultrasound, most likely the doctor will be able to recognize who will be born to you more accurately.
4. Late pregnancy. Determining the sex of the baby in the third trimester of pregnancy is quite difficult. Despite the fact that the child is already fully developed at this time, it is almost impossible to find out his gender. The baby completely occupies the uterus, does not move, and this negatively affects the clarity of the image and distorts it. The doctor at this time usually does not reassure parents with the accuracy of the results.

If you go to a well-qualified doctor in a clinic where all the equipment was recently purchased, and your pregnancy is about 20-25 weeks, you can hope for a high accuracy of the diagnosis.

If all these factors are not observed, the reliability and accuracy of ultrasound, unfortunately, do not always meet the expectations of the expectant mother.

How often does an ultrasound get the sex of the baby wrong?

Is ultrasound often wrong with the sex of the child? As we said above, the statistics of ultrasound errors in determining the sex of a child ranges from 10%. This is quite a bit, but still there is a possibility that the results will be unreliable.

As you already understood, there are not so many errors in ultrasound, and each of them has a specific explanation.

It should be noted that the minimum percentage of errors is shown by three-dimensional diagnostics. On 3D equipment, a specialist can see much more: in this case, ultrasound in his hands turns into a truly unique tool that is many times superior to equipment for two-dimensional diagnostics.

Externally, ultrasound machines, both three-dimensional and two-dimensional, look the same. They differ only in equipping with a special module and special sensors. In addition, the scanning parameters, performance and frequency of the ultrasonic wave remain the same. The sensor in 3D diagnostics is several times larger than the standard one, since inside it has a two-dimensional sensor that constantly moves and transmits a three-dimensional image to the monitor screen. That is, three-dimensional ultrasound would not have appeared if it were not for two-dimensional. And even now it cannot exist without a two-dimensional sensor.

According to doctors, a combination of two diagnostic methods: 3D and 2D will help reduce the percentage of ultrasound errors in determining the sex of a child.

In this case, the doctor receives the information he needs in the traditional way, and then supplements it with a three-dimensional image, as a result of which the most clear and accurate picture emerges in front of him.

The availability of ultrasound diagnostics allows a woman who has just found out about the onset of pregnancy not to speculate about the term, but to find out exactly how her baby is developing. Naturally, when visiting an ultrasound room, a woman roughly assumes how long the doctor will call, but it happens that her expectations are not justified.

How often does this happen, how to explain the situation when the term for ultrasound differs from the term for menstruation, or the size of the fetus differs from the standard for a specific period?

How reliable can ultrasound be?

Ladies who really want to get pregnant want to know about the miracle in their lives as early as possible, literally in the first days of delay. Of course, you can always buy a pregnancy test. But even supersensitive tests can only accurately give a specific answer to the question "did the pregnancy occur?". They are able to answer yes or no, but to set a time limit, more precise methods will be required.

Positive pregnancy test

During a manual examination of a pregnant woman, an obstetrician-gynecologist may notice that the uterus is loose and slightly enlarged. But this phenomenon is also observed before menstruation. To accurately clarify the situation, an ultrasound examination is needed.

Ultrasound is able to accurately determine pregnancy when the level of hCG (chorionic gonadotropin) in a woman's blood exceeds a thousand units. In this case, the doctor is already able to see a fetal egg in the uterine cavity (in case of multiple pregnancy, two or three fetal eggs). The longer the period, the more complete the picture shows the study - the doctor states the presence of not only the fetal egg, but also the yolk sac in it, or even see the embryo and its heartbeat, and be able to measure the KTR of the embryo (the distance from the coccyx to the crown).

If your menstrual cycle is more than 30 days, the gestational age on ultrasound and on menstruation can differ significantly.

Often this situation arises: a woman comes for an ultrasound scan, the doctor is interested in the date of the last menstruation, conducts a study, and then announces that the pregnancy, most likely, turned out to be dead - the embryo and its heartbeat are not visualized, a fetal egg is visible, the size of which is smaller than it should be. The doctor may be wrong if the woman had a late ovulation. In a significant part of women, the menstrual cycle is not the standard 28 days, but 33, or even 35-40. This means that the conception did not occur on the 14-16th day of the cycle, but a week or two later, and the woman simply came to the ultrasound too early, so the fetus was not seen. Most likely, the pregnancy will not be frozen and the fetus is developing normally, it’s just that the study should be repeated in a couple of weeks, so as not to be mistaken. It is also possible to explain the situation when pregnancy is not visible at all on ultrasound: probably, the level of hCG in the blood is less than that at which pregnancy can be seen.

Differences in terms of pregnancy by menstruation and by ultrasound

Obstetric gestational age is calculated by weeks

All obstetrician-gynecologists use the term "obstetric term" when determining the gestational age. This allows all gynecologists in the world to speak the same language. It is conducted in weeks, the countdown of which starts from the first day of the last menstruation. The first and second obstetric weeks are those weeks during which the egg is still maturing in the body, which will subsequently come out of the ovary during ovulation and meet with the sperm.

Thus, a woman who has a standard menstrual cycle of 28 days and who comes to the doctor with a delay of one week will be diagnosed with pregnancy at exactly five obstetric weeks. At the same time, an ultrasound examination can set a slightly shorter period - three, four weeks. To what extent is this justified and why does the deadline not coincide? This situation is normal, since ultrasound aims not to determine the exact period in weeks, but to determine how many weeks from conception the fetus has developed according to its parameters (its gestational age). It is important to understand the difference between these two concepts. Therefore, a discrepancy of 1-2 weeks between the period for menstruation and ultrasound in favor of menstruation (i.e., the period for menstruation is longer, and for ultrasound it is less) is a common occurrence, there is nothing to worry about.

How to determine the gestational age with an irregular cycle?

Some women suffer from hormonal imbalances and, as a result, irregular cycles. With such pathologies as polycystic, multifollicular ovaries, an excessive amount of male sex hormones, menstruation may not come for several months. Nevertheless, ovulation with such disorders does occur from time to time, which means that such women have almost the same chances of becoming pregnant as the rest.

The girl remembers the date of the last menstruation

If pregnancy is not desirable for you, the use of contraceptives is mandatory, even if you suffer from an irregular cycle and do not have periods for several months.

Often, women with an irregular cycle do not consider it necessary to protect themselves, believing that they will definitely not be able to get pregnant. In this case, pregnancy can be detected in the third or even fourth month, because the absence of menstruation for several months becomes a kind of norm. A correct calculation of the obstetric term in such a situation is practically impossible, therefore, when determining the term, the doctor can rely solely on ultrasound data. If the fetus is not too large or too small, an ultrasound can determine the gestational age of the fetus to within 2-3 weeks. The date of birth will also be set by an unconventional method - counting 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstruation, and based on ultrasound data.

In what cases is the term for ultrasound ahead of obstetric?

Currently, in Russia, all pregnant women are given the right to undergo a free ultrasound examination three times. Usually they are prescribed between 11 and 14 weeks, between 18 and 22, and between 32 and 34. Each of these ultrasounds has its own goals (the first is to determine whether gross fetal malformations and genetic abnormalities have been seen, the second is to control the development of internal organs, the third is the determination of the state of the placenta, the position of the fetus and its approximate weight). However, with each examination, the doctor determines how many weeks the fetus is developed. And often this period is ahead of obstetric. For example, a woman knows for sure that her pregnancy is 20 weeks, and the doctor indicated in the conclusion that the size of the fetus corresponds to 22 weeks. Why is there such a situation? There is no error in it. This can be explained as follows:

• The fruit is large. The large size of the fetus, ahead of its gestational age, is not a pathology. Just like all people, the fetus already in the womb has its own individual characteristics.

• The size of the fetus is slightly smaller than it should be. This may well be a variant of the norm, perhaps the baby is just small, especially if his parents are not tall and impressive in weight.
• Incorrectly defined obstetric weeks. There are times when bleeding, which a woman takes for the next menstruation, is actually a threat of miscarriage during a pregnancy that has already occurred in the previous cycle. In the people, this phenomenon is called "washing the fetus." It turns out that a woman calls the doctor one date of the last menstruation, believing that conception occurred in this cycle, while in fact it happened in the previous one, and, accordingly, the obstetric period will be longer.

How often do ultrasounds go wrong?

There is always the possibility of an error, both up and down, when determining the term by ultrasound. Why is this happening and how many factors are to blame for this? There are several of them: outdated equipment, insufficient qualifications of a functional diagnostics doctor, confusion with the date of the last menstruation, the fetus was not immediately seen, the individual characteristics of the fetus (too large or too small). You can minimize the risk of error. It is enough to visit proven medical centers where the level of qualification of doctors and the quality of the equipment is beyond doubt, as well as carefully monitor your cycle and know exactly the date of the last menstruation.

Can an ultrasound be wrong with the gender of the baby? This topic worries many parents. Especially those who want to quickly find out who will be born. Depending on the gender of the baby, you will have to buy certain things, come up with a name, choose toys, and so on. And in general, almost any parent is interested in the gender of the unborn baby. This phenomenon is caused not only by idle interest, but also by the desire to have someone in particular. For example, a boy and a girl. Having given birth to a guy, I want to quickly understand whether the baby turned out for the second time with the parents. Therefore, many on ultrasound try to find out the sex of the child. Can the reported data be false?

Before and now

Previously, the gender of the child was generally not precisely determined. The thing is that ultrasound was invented not so long ago. Therefore, people, as a rule, tried to rely either on folk signs or on personal intuition. Of course, quite often there were problems with such methods of determining gender. There are too many mistakes. After all, signs are something like a game of roulette. The chances of guessing were divided 50/50.

But the appearance of ultrasound has somewhat changed the picture of everything that is happening. It is impossible to decide on your own who will appear. Only a doctor can make a final decision. Can an ultrasound be wrong with the gender of the baby? Or should parents 100% believe what they say? Understanding this issue is actually not as difficult as it seems.

From term

Many doctors say that the answer to the topic will depend on the gestational age. During all 9 months from the moment of conception, the child and his body develop. This process does not stop. So, the longer the gestational age, the higher the likelihood of accurately determining the sex of the child.

Now at the very first ultrasound it is impossible to answer the question posed. After all, as a rule, the study is carried out at 4-6 weeks. At this point, you can see in the picture only the fetal egg, which is attached to the uterus. And listen to the heart. But even in such a period, some doctors try to please parents. Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby at 4-6 weeks? Yes. Moreover, at this stage, in principle, it is difficult, almost impossible, to predict who will be born.

Return visit

It turns out that at the very beginning of pregnancy, despite the fact that in reality the sex of the child has already been determined, it is impossible to find out. Of course, many clinics offer to reveal the secret of the child's gender already at 6-7 weeks from conception. It's just really hard to do that. High probability of error.

And can an ultrasound be mistaken with the sex of the child during a second visit to the doctor? The next study is scheduled approximately on It is called screening. Serves to determine the general condition of the fetus and identify certain diseases. For example, Down syndrome. Consists of a blood test and ultrasound.

In this situation, the probability of accurately determining the sex of the baby increases. But with 100% probability it is still difficult to draw conclusions. Can an ultrasound be wrong with the gender of the baby? Yes, this is normal. In general, pregnancy is something that each woman proceeds individually. And for some, doctors can tell exactly the gender of the baby at 12-14 weeks, for some they can’t. This is normal.

Not a machine, but a doctor

Can an ultrasound be wrong with the gender of the baby? This question cannot be answered unambiguously. The solution to the issue of the gender of the baby is a matter of nature. And all studies can only point to who will appear in future parents. And that's not 100% certain.

If the parents asked who they would have, the answer would be given by the doctor. That is a person. And no machine will determine the sex of the child. Based on the image obtained, it is the doctors who give their conclusions about the gender of the baby. Man is an imperfect being. He tends to err. So, it is possible that the sex of the child will be determined incorrectly. The probability of success increases with the growth of medical professionalism. But even an experienced doctor is not immune from mistakes.

Golden mean

Can ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the child? This is the middle of the "interesting situation." At this stage, the baby can already be seen well. Even some facial features are noticeable, not to mention the formed arms and legs.

At this point, the probability of guessing the sex of the child increases. A good doctor is able to determine who will be born to a woman. But again, you should not unquestioningly believe in what has been said. no one is immune from the fact that the sex of the child, even at the 20th week of pregnancy, will be determined incorrectly.

Although by the indicated period the baby's genitals are already almost completely formed. In the sense that they can be seen. A sufficiently experienced doctor will only assume information about gender. But with 100% accuracy, he will not talk about it. Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby at 20 weeks? Yes, there is such a possibility. But it is much lower than at 4-5 or 12-14 weeks.

Last steps

Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby at 32 weeks or 36? In other words, in the third trimester of pregnancy. Many believe that it is simply impossible to make a mistake at such a time. And so they actively ask the sex of the unborn baby from the doctors.

In fact, believing that ultrasound will tell 100% who will be born is stupid. It has already been said that the data is reported by a person. And doctors can be wrong. But the longer the gestation period, the less likely the error.

As practice shows, usually in the third trimester it is possible to name the sex of the unborn baby with high accuracy. But even in this case, one cannot hope for 100% success. Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby at 20 weeks? Yes. And at 32-36? Also yes. There is always a possibility of error. Only the closer to childbirth, the less likely it is to name the erroneous gender of the unborn baby.

From position

It plays a huge role in solving the question posed. In some cases, it is generally impossible to see the genitals of the child right up to the very birth. And such situations are not uncommon. Sometimes the child turns away from the ultrasound machine precisely at the moment of examining the genitals. This should not be surprising.

Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby at 20 weeks with Yes. Exactly the same as in the normal position of the baby. If the child, on the contrary, is located in a position convenient for ultrasound examination, then the probability of error is less. Especially at 20 weeks. At 12-15, the probability of error is still quite high. Therefore, doctors recommend asking doctors for sex at least by the second trimester of pregnancy.

Development and difficulties of definition

Why is it so difficult to find out who will be born? You can look inside the uterus and look at the baby. Modern technologies even offer to show parents what their child will look like using 3D ultrasound. But these technologies do not allow you to accurately determine the sex of the baby.

It has already been said that with the development of pregnancy, the probability of correctly predicting the sex of the child increases. This is normal, because the baby is born with already formed genitals.

Initially, it is impossible to discern who will be born. At 4-5 weeks from the moment of conception, the child begins to actively develop. Until this time, it turns out to see only the fetal egg. It can be both a boy and a girl. But by the 12th week, the baby in the womb takes on a human form. You can see not only the head, but also the arms and legs, as well as the genitals. By week 20, with a position convenient for ultrasound examination, you can see the sex of the child. And by 32-36 weeks, it’s almost certain to say who will be born. But the possibility of error should not be ruled out.

Why is it so difficult to predict gender even at the end of pregnancy? Can an ultrasound be wrong with the sex of the baby at 20 weeks? Feedback from parents indicates that this is possible. And even at 36-37 weeks of pregnancy, there is a chance of error. This is despite the fact that by this period the genitals are fully formed!

Genital tubercle

So what's the problem? The thing is that initially the genitals in boys and girls are the same. And they don't look good on ultrasound. Especially for short periods. Instead of the genital organs, the so-called genital tubercle is visible. The sex of the baby is determined by its position. If it is less than 30 degrees, most likely it will be a girl. And with a greater "tilt" - a boy. Often this difference is very difficult to see. After all, even the position of the baby in the womb plays a role in the success of determining the sex of the baby!

Can ultrasound be mistaken with the sex of the child Yes, this has already been said more than once. From week 12, the accuracy of doctors' predictions is about 50%. More accurate data is usually given at 20-30 weeks, when the difference between female and male organs is better visible. Doctors recommend towards the end of pregnancy to ask about who will be born. But prepare mentally for - no one is safe from them!

Ultrasound examination during pregnancy is a mandatory procedure, which is carried out as planned in each trimester and corresponds to its term. An ultrasound examination helps to determine the pathologies and the correct development of the fetus at different stages of pregnancy. Most mothers are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to determine the sex of the child ahead of schedule and whether ultrasound can make a mistake in determining. It is worth noting that various factors can affect the effectiveness of the survey. Ultrasound is safe and harmless, X-rays are completely absent. Also, this method of examination is absolutely non-invasive.

You can find out the sex of the baby from 20-21 weeks of pregnancy. Previously, it was very rare to determine the gender. During pregnancy, all examinations are prescribed exclusively by a doctor, so you should not engage in self-diagnosis and rush to examinations ahead of schedule.

Of course, it is worthwhile to understand that at this time the equipment determines the sex of the child, but who you will have is determined by nature much earlier - even at the stage of fusion of two cells. As for the formation of sexual characteristics, this process begins as early as the 8th week of pregnancy. There are cases when the sex of the child was determined already at 12 weeks, but you should not immediately rejoice, since this result will be only 50% reliable. But there is also the possibility of error even at the third scheduled examination. It often happens that a boy was expected, and a girl was born.

It is worth saying that no matter who is in the stomach - a boy or a girl, he must be loved, regardless of what gender the baby will be.

What are some reasons why the result is inaccurate?

With ultrasound during pregnancy, when determining sex, errors can be made in such cases as:

1. premature research. A study conducted at 11-13 weeks can only show 30% who will be and reassure expectant parents at the same time. It should be understood that at this time, first of all, it is necessary to determine the pathology of the development of the fetus, and leave the floor for a routine examination in the second trimester.
2. Late pregnancy. This is due to the fact that the baby is already cramped in the uterus, and he can simply hide his gender.
3. Multiple pregnancy. In this situation, you can easily make a mistake with the sex of the child, since one baby can cover the other.
4. Various factors. Gender determination can also be affected by the qualifications of a specialist or the anxiety of the baby. Also, an error can be made if the study used outdated equipment.

Also, pregnant women need to know that the determination of the sex of the baby during an ultrasound examination can be affected by amniotic fluid, and the location of the fetus and umbilical cord, and the walls of the mother's abdomen.

How else can you determine the sex of the child?

You can determine the sex of the baby not only with the help of ultrasound, but also by other methods:

1. Invasive. This method guarantees 100% results. It is considered dangerous, since infections can be introduced during the procedure. Also, a biopsy can provoke a miscarriage. It is used in rare cases, only with serious deviations in the development of the baby and as prescribed by a specialist.
2. Calculation method. These methods do not always give a 100% result, but many people trust this technique more than ultrasound. The following calculation methods are used:

• By the date of ovulation and the date of sexual intercourse.
• By combination of blood.
• By the "renewal" of the blood.
• Fetal heart rate.
• By the roundness of the abdomen.
• On the beauty of mother during pregnancy.
• By fetal movement.

A pregnant woman, of course, has the right to decide which method to trust more, but it should be understood that modern medicine is already so developed that it is better to give preference to it than to experiment on yourself. Also, if your baby does not want to show his gender, do not be upset, as this is nothing to worry about, it will be an even bigger surprise after birth.

The time of expectation of a child is a joyful and at the same time exciting stage through which almost every woman goes. She usually looks forward to the next ultrasound to see the unborn baby on the screen and get information about who will be born, a boy or a girl.

However, the purpose of this diagnosis is not aimed at determining the sex of the baby, but to monitor its development and correlation with the norms. Nevertheless, doctors satisfy the curiosity of parents and give them an answer to their question of interest. Based on this, questions arise whether ultrasound can make a mistake with the sex of the child, as they often make mistakes during the study, to which we will give full answers in this article.

Is an erroneous result possible?

Ultrasound errors in sex determination can be, and occur quite often. The reproductive organs of the fetus are formed before the 8th week of pregnancy. It is at this time that a large amount of the hormone responsible for the sex of the baby is synthesized. If the production is not active enough, then a girl is born. It turns out that already at 8-9 weeks of intrauterine development, the genitals of the baby are formed.

At week 12, a woman undergoes the first examination, which is prescribed to assess the maturity of the uterus, the degree of development of the placenta, and the fetus. At this time, it is not easy to determine the sex of the child, because it is too small, and it is difficult for the doctor to see his genitals on the monitor. Therefore, ultrasound errors in determining the sex of the baby are not uncommon.

It often happens that the doctor, based on the question of the future mother, at the first examination tried to consider whether a boy or a girl was developing, he saw a boy on the screen. The parents are already set. On the second ultrasound, when the fetus grew up, developed, reached 20 weeks, a girl was determined. The woman is in tears, she was waiting for the boy, whom she was “promised” at the first diagnosis. Such situations are not uncommon.

In the first trimester, it is quite difficult to find out the gender of the unborn baby.

Important! In the first trimester of pregnancy, it is quite difficult to accurately determine the sex of an unborn baby; more accurate information can be obtained from the 15th week of its intrauterine development.

Reasons affecting the distortion of information

Medical workers claim that ultrasound often causes an error in determining the sex of a child. If we consider gender on good equipment, at the most favorable time for this, then the percentage of getting an error becomes small: in 90%, an experienced doctor will give reliable information. Below are the reasons why experts make mistakes on ultrasound with the baby's gender.

early pregnancy

Many mothers are interested in whether the doctor is often mistaken when determining the gender of the baby. Most often, false information can be obtained in the first trimester of pregnancy. Usually the first study is carried out between 10-13 weeks of fetal development, which is not carried out to determine the sex of the baby.

However, once in the ultrasound diagnostic room, future parents ask the doctor to better consider who they will soon have, a girl or a boy. At this stage, the fetus has very small genitals, which have minor differences.

Ultrasound can provide reliable information on diagnostics carried out from 18 to 22 weeks of fetal development. Before 15 weeks of pregnancy, the likelihood of obtaining reliable information is minimal.

Usually at 21 weeks, an ultrasound gives more accurate results. If the fetus has a comfortable position for diagnosis, it does not cover the genitals with its hands, does not move the umbilical cord, then the doctor can carefully examine the sex of the unborn baby.

late pregnancy

Also, mistakes are not uncommon in the last stages of pregnancy. No matter how absurd it may seem, in the third trimester it is not easier to get reliable information than in the first, despite the fact that the formation of the penis has already ended, it looks like a baby has already been born. This situation occurs due to the large size of the fetus. It is already uncomfortable for him, there is not enough space, he tries to take more compact dimensions. Due to which he does not intentionally hide his genitals.

The experience of the doctor and the modernity of the device

Accurately determine the gender, even if the pregnancy has a convenient period, only an experienced doctor can. Since it is not the sensor conducting the study that makes mistakes, but the specialist, sometimes women go for diagnostics to a certain doctor. Usually mistakes are made by inexperienced doctors who do not have experience working with women who are expecting children.

If the doctor practices for a long time with pregnant women, conducts a reception on a device familiar to him, then, as a rule, getting an erroneous result is minimized. An experienced specialist can accurately determine the sex of a child by ultrasound even at 12 weeks of fetal development.

Obtaining accurate information also depends on the quality of the apparatus used in the study. It is not easy to see such “thin” moments on the old technique. Modern equipment provides a real opportunity to improve the quality of research. The most effective is equipment that has the ability to obtain a picture in a three-dimensional projection, since the diagnosis of the baby is obtained simultaneously in 3 planes.

In addition, it should be said separately that it will be difficult to determine the sex of a child if a woman has a polyp. For your information: the most common errors during the diagnosis of a boy, the information content about a girl's pregnancy is usually more accurate. Ultrasound diagnostics cannot give an exact guarantee of the correct determination of the sex of the baby. You can find out reliable information only when taking a biopsy of the contents from the uterus. However, this method can lead to the fact that the baby will be infected and, therefore, is used only to diagnose genetic diseases.