Science Questions

Can temperature change the sex of an embryo?

It was said that women’s temperature can rise between 1.3 and 1.5 degrees. Crocodiles use temperature to regulate whether their eggs turn into males or females. So is it known whether women’s temperature altering, in some way, can affect the outcome of her babies in the same way? Eth, by email

We put this to Oriane from Cambridge Temperature Concepts:

Oriane -   No.  I’ve never heard of that for a woman, unfortunately but sorry.

Chris: -   It would be quite good if they would though. There’d be all these people putting their women in the freezer or in the oven according to what they wanted, wouldn’t they?

Shamus: -   That wouldn't be good.

November 2009