Fetal Heart Rate 158 BPM Boy Or Girl

There are many misconceptions about identifying a boy or girl in fetal stage, which is why awareness is necessary

In the context of an expectant mother, the preferences for the baby’s gender vary widely. Some may prefer a boy, whereas others may be wishing for a daughter. There are also parents who may not have any specific preferences. In the case of parents who do have a specific preference, they often rely on various techniques to identify whether it is a baby boy or baby girl.

This is because identification of baby boy or baby girl during fetal stage is illegal at many locations. For example, there is provision for both fine and jail term in India for fetus gender identification. To avoid legal issues, parents rely on other techniques that are not covered under the legal system.

One such technique that claims to identify whether it’s a baby boy or baby girl is by measuring the heart rate of the baby during fetal stage. But is this a correct technique or just a myth? To answer that, here are some important things to understand.

Fetal heart rate 158 bpm boy or girl

This is often recommended by many in social circles to identify whether it is a baby boy or baby girl. However, the reality is that there is no scientific evidence to support this theory. This technique is based on a basic process of measuring the fetal heart rate. If the fetal heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is believed to be a baby girl, as per this theory. If the fetal heart rate is below 140 bpm, this theory points to a baby boy.

So, if the fetal heart rate is 158 bpm, it could be a baby girl, as per this technique. Many people even claim that this happened in their own lives. However, that could just be a coincidence. As per the rule of probability, you could be right around 50% of the time since there are only two outcomes. That’s why many parents tend to believe in this because their personal experiences may match the theory.

No scientific evidence

As mentioned earlier, there is no scientific evidence to support that fetal heart rate can identify a baby girl or baby boy. Various studies conducted in the past have revealed that fetal heart rate is not a reliable way to predict the baby’s gender. Even if some differences were noted, these were not statistically or practically useful for prediction.

Studies have also noted that there is no major difference in average fetal heart rates between male and female fetuses. As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, the fetal heart rate is not considered as a reliable way to identify the gender of the baby.

Normal fetal heart rates

Fetal heart rate varies depending on the stage of pregnancy. Fetal heart rate of 158 bpm is quite normal, because fetal heart rate is usually much faster in comparison to that of adults. In early pregnancy, around 6 to 10 weeks, the fetal heart rate can easily be in the range of 150 to 170+ bpm. In later first trimester and early second trimester, the fetal heart rate could be in the range of 140 to 160 bpm.

During second and third trimesters, the baseline fetal heart rate is usually in the range of 110 to 160 bpm. Average is around 110 to 150 bpm, as pregnancy progresses. One also needs to understand that certain factors can influence the fetal heart rate. These include the level of fetal activity, gestational age, sleep-wake cycles, time of day and maternal factors such as temperature, anxiety, medications, etc.

Scientific ways for determining gender of baby

As is evident from above factors, a one-time reading of 158 bpm does not accurately identify the baby’s gender. Many countries allow legal identification of the baby’s gender. At such locations, doctors can use various techniques for accurate identification of the baby’s gender. A common method is anatomy ultrasound, which can be done from 18 to 22 weeks.

Another technique used for baby’s gender identification is Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). For this, blood tests that analyze fetal DNA are done at around 10 weeks. This is very accurate since it is based on sex chromosomes. This technique can also detect specific conditions.