Health Update: Deep sea babies

DEEP sea divers are more likely to father baby girls than boys, according to a letter in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Hyperbaric chambers, which are used to reduce pressure after diving, significantly reduce testosterone levels, it points out. Low levels of testosterone and high levels of gonadotrophins are associated with subsequent births of girls: and studies of both Australian abalone divers and Swedish navy divers show they have fewer male offspring than average.