Female Infanticide in Rural South India

Abstract

Infanticide has been practiced in all continents, but little dependable primary data exist on this subject. Presented here are the findings on female infanticide for a rural, south Indian population. These data were collected as part of a major four-year field study on child growth and survival in a population group numbering 13,000 and have been confirmed directly with the families concerned. Female infanticide is practiced in only 6 of the 12 study villages affecting about 10 percent of newborn girls. Reported here are the demographic consequences and social factors associated with them. Seventy-two percent of all female deaths were due to feticide and misclassification of these deaths would grossly distort the significant child survival achieved by this population.