FEMALE INFANTICIDE IN RURAL SOUTH-INDIA

Infanticide has been practised in all continents, but little dependable primary data exists on this subject. Presented here are 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 13,000 population and have been confirmed directly with the families concerned. Female infanticide is practised in only 6 of the 12 study villages affecting about 10 per cent of new-born girls. Reported here are the demographic consequences and social factors associated with this are considered Seventy-two per cent of all female deaths were due to femicide and misclassification of these deaths would grossly distort the significant child survival achieved by this population.