Female infanticide and amniocentesis
Jeffery, R.; Jeffery, P.; Lyon, A.
Social Science and Medicine 19(11): 1207-1212
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0277-9536 PMID: 6395348 DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(84)90372-1Document Number: 426205
It is widely believed that amniocentesis in India is being employed primarily to discover fetal sex, so that couples may then elect to abort females. Drawing on the findings of a recent research project conducted in the Bijnor District of North India, the authors present statistics on sex ratios by age that provide evidence for postnatal female neglect rather than infanticide. They discuss cultural attitudes toward desired family size and composition and conclude that, as family size decreases, the desire for sons will lead to increased female neglect. They suggest that widespread, safe, and less expensive amniocentesis-abortion facilities may be attractive to a large group of women, based on the attitudes expressed in the Bijnor study.