Prenatal ultrasound sex identification: Some factors that influence pregnant women's requests in Enugu, South-East Nigeria

Background: Mothers have always had cause to worry about the sex of their unborn child, but prenatal sex determination has continued to attract mixed feelings and reactions worldwide. This study was aimed at determining factors that influence pregnant women's requests for ultrasound sex identification of fetuses in Enugu, South-East Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, was done. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the factors influencing their willingness to know the sex of their unborn children. Results: A total of 416 responses were obtained. Nearly 40.4% of the respondents were interested in knowing the sex of their children. Almost 56.3% preferred to have a male child, 8.7% preferred to have a female child while 25.5% of the respondents were indifferent. Those who had preference for a particular sex were more interested in requesting for prenatal sex determination than those who did not (54.2% vs. 24.0%). Those who had family pressure for a particular sex were more interested than those who were not pressured (65.9% vs. 33.1%). Other factors that influenced their desire to request for the prenatal sex of their children were preference for a male child, desire for more children dependent on the sex of the index fetus, and desire for more children (irrespective of the sex). Conclusions: Preference for a particular sex, desire to have more children, and family pressure for a particular sex were found to be the major factors that influence the desire for prenatal sex determination by pregnant women in this study.