Infant Girls in India Twice as likely to Die as Boys

Infant Girls in India Twice as likely to Die as Boys

(Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior-August 4, 2003)

Here are also a large number of unexplained female deaths, which may be considered as deaths under suspicious circumstances, argue researchers in the July 18, 2003, issue of the British Medical Journal.

Deaths among infants aged less than 1 year in urban India were examined over 5 years. Deaths reported as sudden and without any preceding illness were categorized as "unexplained deaths."

The sex ratio at birth was 869 females per 1,000 males. Deaths were 1.3 times higher in females than in males, and most sudden unexplained deaths with no preceding history of illness were in girls. Twice as many girls died from diarrhea, despite it being an easily treatable condition, reported Amod Kumar and colleagues at St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi, India.

Could such deaths be an extension into the early neonatal period of female feticide? the researchers ask.

Though the Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994 attempted to alter the adverse sex ratio by banning sex determination tests, this cannot change the attitudes of people towards female infants, add Kumar and coauthors.

Improved access to healthcare and education of health professionals to pay attention to girls would be beneficial, they conclude (Community based retrospective study of sex in infant mortality in India. Br Med J, July 18, 2003;327:126-8).

For more information, contact Amod Kumar, Senior Consultant and Head, Department of Community Medicine, St. Stephen's Hospital, at [email protected]. This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.

This story has been adapted from a news release issued by NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net