Pretty in Pink--and Blue, too.

• Position: Newborns - Gender expectations - Brief article

An expectant mother who chooses to find out her child's sex before birth may be giving subtle clues about her views on proper gender roles, suggests a study from Ohio State University, Columbus, which found that women who choose not to learn their child's sex may be more open to new experiences and combine egalitarian views about the roles of men and women in society with conscientiousness. On the other hand, expectant mothers who scored high on a test of parenting perfectionism--meaning they set unrealistically high standards--were more likely than others to learn their baby's sex.

'These results suggest women who choose not to learn their baby's sex may not worry about having clothes, toys, and colors for their child that match traditional gender expectations," indicates Letitia Kotila, lead author of the study and a graduate student in human sciences. 'We don't know this for sure yet, but expectant mothers' choice on whether to find out their baby's sex may show gender role...