科学｜4人目の性別、男子確率61%に / Science | The probability of the fourth child being a boy is 61%.

Summary

A research team from Harvard University has released an analysis showing that parents who have children of the same gender are more likely to have another child of the same gender.

In particular, parents with three sons have a 61% chance of their fourth child also being a boy, while the probability of having a girl as the fourth child is 58%. The study suggests that factors such as the age of the parents at the time of birth and genetic influences may play a role in this pattern.

Dialogue

This dialogue is fictional and based on the article.

Chako: Hey Log, did you know there’s a 61% chance that the fourth child will be a boy? That’s amazing, right?
Log: Yeah, it means that parents who already have children of the same gender are likely to have another child of that gender as well. That’s really interesting.
Chako: Why does that happen?
Log: It seems to be related to factors like the parent’s age at childbirth and genetics. Especially, parents who have boys tend to have a higher chance of having more boys.
Navi: This phenomenon is thought to involve genetic factors. The genes related to the gender of the parents could be passed on to the next child.
Chako: Wow, genetics is fascinating!

Admin’s Note

This news offers an interesting perspective on family planning and childbirth. It’s particularly striking to understand that parents who have children of the same gender often wish for their next child to also be of that gender, largely due to genetic influences. Research findings like these can be very helpful when considering parenting. Why not take some time to reflect on your own thoughts about the gender of your family?