The warning has been given to mothers-to-be who are due to attend Simpson Memorial maternity hospital in Edinburgh for ultrasound scans.

And a hospital spokeswoman said parents will not be told even if they do ask staff whether their child is a boy or a girl.

The spokeswoman said the only exceptions would be if there was a pressing clinical or genetic reason for knowing the child's sex.

'No benefit'

The decision, taken by Lothian Health Board, means mothers who go for a scan, usually within the first three months of pregnancy, will only be told the child's sex if their consultant decides it is necessary.

"There is no actual benefit in telling parents," the spokeswoman said.

"If there is a clinical or genetic reason why they should know the sex of their baby, we will tell them.

"The scan cannot always tell the sex of the baby - it can depend on how the baby is lying. It is certainly not the purpose of the scan to tell the sex of the child."

London hospitals

The hospital is the first in Scotland to ban telling parents their unborn child's sex, although a number of maternity units in England have already made the move.

Some hospitals in London are believed to operate such a policy because they fear baby girls will be aborted because of the importance some ethnic groups place on having a boy.