Free β-hCG and PAPP-A levels and baby's gender

These studies are showing the link between free β-hCG and PAPP-A levels in mothers blood and baby's gender. Values tend to be higher in women pregnant with girls.
Average ( desired) value is 1 MoM.

Also NT ( nuchal translucency) and AFP can be expressed in MoMs.

If you're pregnant with a boy, those values tend to be a bit higher, but close to 1 if it's a normal, healthy pregnancy ( otherwise it could be an indicator for chromosomal issues). If you're carrying a girl, values tend to be a bit lower then 1 ( but close to 1 for the same reasons).

Those hormones are done from the blood ( 'double test') usually during the first trimester and they are interpreted with ultrasound pictures in order to show the probability that the baby might suffer chromosomal problems ( mostly trisomy 21, 18,15).

My ob/gyn orders double test only if the future mommy is older then 35 and/or u/s is indicating something might be wrong.

These studies were like the punch in the face, burying my last hope for a baby boy ( hey, I've almost convinced myself this baby can turn into a boy :sad: )

Here are the studies: The impact of fetal gender on first trimester nuchal translucency and maternal serum free β-hCG and PAPP-A MoM in normal and trisomy 21 pregnancies - Cowans - 2009 - Prenatal Diagnosis - Wiley Online Library ( The impact of fetal gender on first trimester nuchal translucency and maternal serum free β-hCG and PAPP-A MoM in normal and trisomy 21 pregnancies)
Gender impact on first trimester markers in Down syndrome screening - Larsen - 2002 - Prenatal Diagnosis - Wiley Online Library

There are more studies on this subject and they are all showing the same, unfortunately :worry:

Here are my double test results at 12 weeks 6 days:

free beta hCG: 1.21 MoM
PAPP-A: 0.96MoM
NT: 0.96 MoM

Girl, eh? :sad:

Here's the link to the study about NT values The effect of fetal gender on nuchal translucency at 10–14 weeks of gestation - Lam - 2001 - Prenatal Diagnosis - Wiley Online Library

NT for female fetuses was 0.98 MoM compared to 1.o3 MoM for male fetuses.

This is so unbelievebly exciting!!! I've found another study for the first trimester with actual values for free beta hCG and PAPP-A
http://www.fetalmedicine.com/fmf/2009_11.pdf

Free β-hCG 0.95 MoM for boys
1.09 MoM for girls

PAPP-A 0.96 MoM for boys
1.02 MoM for girls

Free β-hCG is 14.74% higher if the fetus is a girl ( considered significantly higher) and PAPP-a is 6.25% higher in girls.

Of to find AFP values for the 2nd trimester! http://yoursmiles.org/psmile/science/p0316.gif

And yes, there is a link between AFP levels ( α - fetoprotein) and baby's gender!

Reproductive factors and extreme l... [Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2004] - PubMed - NCBI
Women who gave birth to a girl had AFP levels that were 5% lower than those of women who had a boy.

2nd-trimester maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein levels in male and female fetuses with Down syndrome.

I'll try to find some numbers.

Cut-off for AFP is 2-2.5 MoM

Role of fetal sex in amniotic fluid alphafetoprotein screening - Knippel - 2002 - Prenatal Diagnosis - Wiley Online Library
This is the conclusion from this study: " Adjusting the cut-off MoM to 2.5 for male and to 2.0 for female fetuses halves the false positive rate from 3.4 to 1.7% without affecting the detection rate of 95%."

I can't believe no one else finds this interesting? :confused:

Hey Z I know nothing about all this, sorry!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TTC5

Hey Z I know nothing about all this, sorry!!

---

Oh, don't be sweeti! :)
I was so thrilled when I've found it. I'd be even more so if I was in the boy range :rofl:

If we go for no.4 :pray: my ob/gyn will have me do double and triple tests just like that bcos I'm going to be closer to grandma age lol! So I'll know very, very soon that I ( most likely) failed again.

I have read this before but I only had one NT scan and that was with DS. I never got any of my levels from the 16 week scan.

All I know is, my AFP tests were very positive for DD2 (1:19) and she was (obviously) a girl, and has no downs syndrome. The same test with my son was positive too, but just barely--1:240. He was healthy as well. This time around I got a result of 1:200, not sure if it was the same exact test--I think they said it was the quad screen? Not sure. DD1 all I know is I "passed" but not sure what the result was. I was only 30 then, so that may have helped.

Not sure of the exact levels of things and don't know what MoM is.

MoM is multiples of median Multiple of the median - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Your AFP results should be expressed in MoMs in order to compare them with AFP cut-offs.

thank you for sharing this Z! Very interesting and it's nice to have the links for all of us to see. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zivic-Bubac

MoM is multiples of median Multiple of the median - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Your AFP results should be expressed in MoMs in order to compare them with AFP cut-offs.

---

Would that have been on the test results? I can ask my Dr. when I am in there next.

** just wanted to update, I'm having a girl

So I finally got my results from my 12week, 3 day blood work... what do you think??

HCG MOM - 1.3
PappA MOM - .97
NT MOM - .84

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nestof3

So I finally got my results from my 12week, 3 day blood work... what do you think??

HCG MOM - 1.3
PappA MOM - .97
NT MOM - .84

---

This looks like a :DD:

Just wanted to BUMP this up.

I got my NT bloods back also.
My free Beta HCG - 0.53
PAPP-A MoM - 0.88

If this theory is correct i will be having a boy.

Will keep you all updated

I will hopefully get a copy of mine on Tuesday but the sonographer said mine were all around the 1 mark - she thought girl from my nub so we'll see. My DS2 had abnormally high hcg levels though so that doesnt really relate to this?? It is interesting though

Dont forget to post you numbers Bimby.

I think the rule of thumb is, if both your numbers are over 1.0 MoM than its more likely a girl, if both your numbers are under 1.0 MoM than more likely a boy - If you have 1 number over 1.0, and the other under 1.0, then its 50/50.
Hope this makes sense?

For sure I will! Maybe DS2 was a 50/50 one - From what I saw at a glance at my scan my levels were both over 1 so hoping so, as that will make me even more confident that I have my little princess :) The nub was pretty girly but Im still not convinced

Just got my numbers today:
hcg MOM: 1.10
PAPP-A MOM: 1.08
NT MOM: 1.09

For reference, my DS1 values at week 16 were:
hcg MOM: 1.0
PAPP-A: 0.96
didn't do NT for him

So, we shall see! Not a big enough difference in my book to run out and buy pink, but still interesting nonetheless. I'll update in about 6 weeks! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Turning the page

Just got my numbers today:
hcg MOM: 1.10
PAPP-A MOM: 1.08
NT MOM: 1.09

---

I'd say :DD: Keep us updated!

This is so fascinating. I'll update around Christmas when I have my NT scan and 12 week blood work!

I found my NT blood work report here are my numbers -

Free B-hCG - 0.4881 MoM
PAPP-A - 0.5886 MoM

Finding out sex on the 4th Dec

Ugh I had all my medical records for transferring back to my clinic after being out of town, and I looked at all these numbers but had no clue what they meant! And I already turned it all in :( oh well, I'm pretty positive I'll get my boy confirmation next Friday, but it would've given me more to obsess over lol. Very interesting though!!

Zivic I find this very interesting!
But am limited to a rubbish Internet connection on my phone so having trouble reading and getting my head around all the studies.
Any chance you can tell me what my results would indicate? I'm thinking one indicated girl, the other boy??

Free hcg 0.56
Pappa-a is 1.77

I didn't get a NT in mom, just cm, which was 1.7mm

Thanks heaps :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zivic-Bubac

This is so unbelievebly exciting!!! I've found another study for the first trimester with actual values for free beta hCG and PAPP-A
http://www.fetalmedicine.com/fmf/2009_11.pdf

Free β-hCG 0.95 MoM for boys
1.09 MoM for girls

PAPP-A 0.96 MoM for boys
1.02 MoM for girls

Free β-hCG is 14.74% higher if the fetus is a girl ( considered significantly higher) and PAPP-a is 6.25% higher in girls.

Of to find AFP values for the 2nd trimester! http://yoursmiles.org/psmile/science/p0316.gif

---

Hey cinns, based on this your baking a boy :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thats what i thought, my numbers seem to be extreemly low, im trying not to worry about that?!?

And your numbers seem to go 50/50.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cinss

Thats what i thought, my numbers seem to be extreemly low, im trying not to worry about that?!?

And your numbers seem to go 50/50.

---

I wouldn't have thought the lowness of the numbers is anything to worry about, my understanding of them for what the dr said is that the higher then numbers the higher the risk ratio, same as the NT measurement - the thicker it is the more likely to have issues.
So I don't think that they can be 'too' low :)

Yeh mine seem to o 50/50! I wonder if one of the, carries more weight then the other.
Ahhh well only 8 days and 13 hours till our gender scan LOL

Hope zivic pops in here to share her knowledge on our stats

Cinss--totally boy numbers! I feel even more confident you're baking blue in there. :)
Lassie--yours seem perfectly split down the middle--isn't that maddening? Maybe Zivic will lend us her opinion. ;)

Got my numbers and Im excited!!!!! I hope it means I have my little princess - I guess the main thing is my risk for all trisomy's is considered low so Im definitely stoked with that!

Ok so my numbers:

Free BHCG i s 1.269 MoM and my PAPP-A is 1.321 MoM - NT measurment was 1.6.

Is this Girl?????? x

The NT measurment wasnt the MoM measurment.. That was just the actual measurement at the scan so not sure it counts??

Looks promising Bimby (i think) ..... Zivic heeeeeeelp :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bimby

The NT measurment wasnt the MoM measurment.. That was just the actual measurement at the scan so not sure it counts??

---

I didn't get a MoM for the NT either, just the actual measurement if 1.7cm.

Maybe it's supposed to be a measurement and not a MoM?

Hey cinns did you gets MoM for the NT?






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No i just got an NT measurement too it was 1.6mm

I found a website that calculates your percentage for NF measurment.

Crown Rump Length and Nuchal Translucency Calculator

Mine was below the 50 percentile which would further indicate Pink I imagine?? It said I was 36 percentile. So smaller then average for measurement of baby - Hope that helps x

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bimby

I found a website that calculates your percentage for NF measurment.

Crown Rump Length and Nuchal Translucency Calculator

Mine was below the 50 percentile which would further indicate Pink I imagine?? It said I was 36 percentile. So smaller then average for measurement of baby - Hope that helps x

---

Ooo can someone calculate mine pls (still no Internet and it doesn't load properly on my phone)
Please please :)
Mine was 1.70cm




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All good I got it :)
I'm in 52 percentile. So that's boy territory?
And I'm a scatter brain, it was 1.7mm not cm .... Baby brain!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Youre probably pretty close either way I reckon..

Oh and I found there were a few people on Ingender whom this was wrong for so I think it's one of those things that can go either way, still hard not to obsess though :)

mine says - Your measured NT value is 48 percentile