Small village where only girls have been born for 10 years offers prize for next baby boy

The Polish village of Miejsce Odrzańskie has a very strange claim to fame: For nearly 10 years, every single child born in the town has been a girl.

But the town's mayor, Rajmund Frischko, has a solution. He's decided to offer a reward to the family of the next boy born in his village.

The mayor has told multiple news outlets about his plan but he has yet to specify an exact prize.

"He will definitely get a very nice gift. And we will plant an oak [tree] and name it after him," Frischko told The New York Times earlier this month.

He also added that he's considered naming a street after the child, whenever he finally arrives. Considering the small village has a population of just 272 and only one major road, that could be a significant reward.

In the meantime, the town has adjusted to its female-heavy population. The fire department has 24 women and eight men and all of its youngest members are girls, according to Polish news site WP Wiadomości.

"Definitely, girls rule in our village," Adrianna Pieruszka, a volunteer firefighter, told Polish news network TVN24.

The town began attracting media attention earlier this summer after the village sent a female-only group to compete in a competition for young firefighters. National news outlets and researchers have become fascinated by Miejsce Odrzańskie since then.

"Some scientists have expressed interest in examining why only girls have been born here," Frischko, told The New York Times. "I also have doctors calling me from all over the country with tips on how to conceive a boy."

Frischko said he's gotten advice from one doctor who said the town's women should consume more calcium if they want to give birth to boys. He also noted some slightly less medical tactics.

"There is always the tried way of the Polish highlanders: If you want a boy, keep an ax under your marital bed," Frischko told The New York Times.

It's still not clear whether there's some explanation for the trend, or if it's just a coincidence. Frischko, for his part, believes the trend goes back further than just the past decade.

"We looked into it further, reviewing birth certificates. I think that what the older residents say is confirmed," he told The First News. "Girls are constantly born and the birth of boys is rare. Explaining this puzzle will not be easy."

Other residents have expressed similar concerns.

"I would like to have a son but it's probably unrealistic," Tomasz Golasz, another resident, told The First News. "I don’t think women give birth to boys here.”