Is there an economic rationale for wanting to know the gender of a child before it is born? [Rewritten to express issues in economics terms:]

In terms of the classic economic rational actor (Aka homo economicus) is there some rationale to want to know the child's gender before it is born. 

Potential  economic advantages of knowing ahead of time:


Smaller decisions space for choosing a name
Can purchase items in advance


Potential disadvantages of knowing ahead of time:


Is there a utility of surprise?
Are excess purchasing impulses easier to control if you don't know the gender?


I would like to understand this in the framework of the classic rational actor (Assuming they would ever want to have a child)
One typical story people tell is that in some countries there are strict population control policies and if families have a large economic incentive to have either a son or a daughter, they might neglect their pregnancy or terminate it if the child is not the gender they want it to be. In some societies the economic incentives to have sons or daughters are very different: typically sons are expected to bring in a working wife into the family, with a dowry, but daughters are expected to leave to the husband's family and take a dowry with them.