GUESSING from page 87 out whether you'll have a boy or girl is simply too great to wait another moment. It's time for the needle. No, no — not another blood test. This "test" involves holding a needle from a bit of thread. The pregnant woman should sit comfortably, while another person dangles the needle about 1 inch above her hand. If the needle swings back and forth, it's a girl. Circular movement says it's a boy. The humble handkerchief also is said to hold the key to knowledge when it comes to predicting a baby's sex. Lay a handkerchief flat on the floor and ask a pregnant woman to pick it up. If she grasps at any corner, she is having a boy. If she picks it up from the middle, it's a girl. For many years the so-called Drano test was actually utilized by parents-to- be. Before you continue reading, though, keep in mind that not only is this test completely inaccurate, it's dan- gerous. Do not, under any circum- stances, try this. It can result in harmful fumes and possibly an explosion. How this test got started, and the exact details of how it supposedly works, aren't really known, but its offi- cial name is the Drano test. Apparently the drain cleaner, when mixed with the urine of a pregnant woman, could predict whether the baby would be a boy or girl. In addition to the fact that this test is potentially harmful, its outcome was constantly in dispute, and, to this day, no one can tell whether the resulting color means a boy or a girl. A more professional sounding, but not actually more professional, idea is the old heart-rate routine. When the baby's heart rate is over 140, a girl. is said to be on the way; under 140 and you're having a boy. This is based on an almost 10-year-old study at the University of Kentucky, which report- edly was able to correctly predict the sex of females 74 percent of the time, and males 91 percent of time. However, no other known study has produced the same results, and virtually all physicians today put little credence in the University of Kentucky study. What about where the baby is rest- ing? If you are or ever have been preg- nant, chances are you have had some well-meaning passerby assure you that you're having a boy because the baby is resting low, or a girl if the baby seems high. This lore has its origins in England, where it was believed that girl babies would stay high, supposedly close to their mothers, whereas boys wanted independence and were moving to get away as quickly as they could. Ask any physician today and she will assure you that whether the baby is high or low has everything to do with a woman's posture and body, not whether she is carrying a boy or girl. (Incidentally, a similar sexist "test" involves whether the mother is looking lovely during her pregnancy. A mother who seems especially pretty is said to be carrying a boy, while an unattractive- looking one is said to have a girl — because her daughter wants to "steal" her looks.) For parents who simply want to know how many children they will have, consider the wedding ring. According to tradition, one should tie a strand of either parent's hair around the woman's wedding ring. The future mom should then rub the ring up and down her index finger and then bring it above the top of her right hand, which is outstretched. The number or swings equals the number of children she will bear. There's the ultrasound, though this doesn't guarantee anything, either. (Depending on how the child is situat- ed, it may be impossible to accurately see everything.) So does that mean there's really no way to be absolutely certain if you're having a boy or a girl? Yes. But go to college and you may have a head start. Not surprisingly, a study by Johns Hopkins University, conducted on 100 pregnant women, showed that not a single folklore method was any more accurate than just guessing. Yet something — something having nothing to do with medicine — did make a great contribution when it comes to predicting the sex of a child. Education. While for most women it's a 50-50 guess, the Johns Hopkins study reports that this figure jumps to 75 percent for women with a college education. Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 18 f m f m m m m m m m m m 19mIna f f m m f mmf f min 111 111 f m in in m f m 20 f The Mysterious Chart Numerous Web sites promise they can predict the sex of your child ("You can trust us," www.boyorgirl says confidently. "92 out of 100 women tested achieved desirable results.") The sites may look fun, but, rest assured, it's fun for which you will pay. The "accurate tests" are not free, and most charge $3-$5. If you do decide to try your hand at one of them, you will be asked to answer a few questions (everything from your father's name to your Rhesus [positive or negative] blood type) and then pay up. Or, you can save yourself some money and have a bit of fun here. 6/27 2003 88 (This so-called Chinese Chart is one of the most popular used by Web sites that charge a fee.) Though this is extremely popu- lar in China (according to legend, it was "buried for more than 700 years in a tomb outside Beijing"), Western physicians say this method of predicting a child's sex is no more accurate than tossing a coin. If you want to try, though, here's how it works: Find the mother's age, at left, at the time she became pregnant. Then cross reference to the top, finding the month the child was conceived. "F" means a female and "M" is for a male. El f f f f f f f f f 22 f m m f m f f m f f f f 23mmm f mut f f 21mf f f min f m f-mmf mm f 25 f m f m f 111 f m f m m 26 m in m In m f m f fmra f m f f 24rnf 27 f f in f rnf f into mf f 30 m m f in 31romm m f m f mf fmf f mfrnf f f m f m in m m m m in f f f m f m f f f in f m m f m m f m 33 f tam f f m f mf min f 34 mm f f m f 111 m f m f f 35mf f m f 28mmm f 29 f 32 m f m in in f m f m m f f f minf f f m f f f 38 min f f m f m f f 40 m m m f m 36 mf 37 f 39 f mmf m f f f mf f m f tnmf f in f in f f f m. in f m mf f f mut f m f 41 f 42mf f m m m m m f m f f rnm f f in m m f f 43 f m f f runt to f f f m m f f f 45 f m Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 44 mf. Are You Puzzled? Are you good at word searches, mazes, secret codes? Then AppleTree's "Are You Puzzled?" is perfect for you! If you solve this week's challenge (open to adults and children of all ages), send your solution, along with your name AND CITY OF RESI- DENCE, to arrive NO LATER THAN Tuesday, July 1, to: I Found It! c/o AppleTree, the Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034. We'll print the names of everyone who solves the puzzle here in AppleTree. This week's puzzle is a riddle. Solve it, and you're a genius! David gave something to Rachel. He wants to keep it, and he can do so without taking it back. What is it? And now, the answer to the June 13 mystery: An Israeli armored brigade consists of two armored battalions and one infantry battalion, while an infantry brigade consists of two infantry bat- talions and one armored battalion. An armored battalion consists of two armored squadrons and one infantry squadron, and an infantry battalion consists of two infantry squadrons and one that is armored. It keeps on this way through squadrons, platoons, squads, until finally, an armored squad consists of two armory soldiers and one infantry soldier, and an infantry squad ... you know already. How many soldiers should be retrained in order to transform an infantry brigade into an armored brigade?