Our “Baby” on YouTube: The Gendered Life Stories of the Unborn

Abstract

This study concerns the usage of foetal ultrasounds, more specifically those produced during the 5th month of pregnancy within the routine checks of any pregnancy in France. Interestingly, more and more parents are posting short films on YouTube of their baby-to-be using the medical images produced during such antenatal examinations. This study therefore analyses a set of 108 YouTube posts among the thousands available to understand the social implications of such posts on the unborn. Uncannily, it appears that these videos constitute not only the first pages of the biographies of a girl or a boy but also the autobiographical tales of a mother or father waiting for the birth of a daughter or son. The close reading of 31 archetypical videos reveals how those who post such videos see 5th-month ultrasound imagery as a means for them to prepare, not just for the birth of a child, but for the birth of a girl or a boy and simultaneously to prepare to become, not just parents, but the father or mother of a son or a daughter.

Ethical concerns surrounding sex prediction using noninvasive prenatal screening from pediatric endocrinologists' perspective

“…This case, particularly when considering the above‐noted statistics on sex and gender diversity, highlights the need to avoid reinforcing the false notion that human individuals are either 46,XY cisgender male or 46,XX cisgender female in interpreting NIPS (or other prenatal genetic testing) results. This imperative is particularly salient considering research findings that expecting parents attach themselves early in pregnancy to a child of a specific gender based on information about external genitalia from prenatal ultrasounds (Barnes, 2013, 2014; Pélage, 2019). Parental expectations based on a cisgender and heterosexual identity for their future child raises concern for psychological harm to infants who become LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, queer, and intersex) children and adolescents given the importance of parental acceptance for wellbeing among LGBTQI individuals (National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2020).…”