Ambiguous genitalia

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Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

Not knowing the sex of your baby immediately is a difficult issue to face. As parents, it's best to discipline your thoughts not to think of your baby as a girl or a boy until a medical evaluation is complete.

Meanwhile you might consider giving the child a neutral name suitable for either a boy or a girl. You might also defer announcing the birth until the evaluations are complete in that the first question everyone asks regarding a new baby is whether it's a girl or a boy.

Because of the additional stress this may place on a family, ongoing counseling for the child as well as the family may become an important part of the process. Mental health providers and support groups may all help you to deal with this difficult and unexpected set of circumstances.

DS00668

Jan. 30, 2008

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