Foeticide and Infanticide

19Feb07

in·fan·ti·cide (ĭn-făn‘tĭ-sīd‘)
n.

The act of killing an infant.

The practice of killing newborn infants.

One who kills an infant.

[Late Latin īnfanticīdium, the killing of a child and īnfānticīda, killer of a child : Latin īnfāns, īnfant-, infant; see infant + Latin -cīdium and -cīda, -cide.]

foe·ti·cide (foē‘tĭ-sīd‘)
n. Destruction of the embryo or foetus in the uterus. Also called embryoctony.

As reported by BBC News, the Indian government is planning to set up a network of cradles around the country where parents can leave unwanted baby girls. The idea is to reduce the rate of female foeticide and female infanticide.

We will have cradles strategically placed all over the place so that people who don’t want their babies can leave them there,” Ms Chowdhury told the BBC News website.

They will be collected and put into homes,” she said. “There are plenty of existing homes and we will be adding some more also.

My initial dismay at such a move quickly turned into support, as I read and gained an understanding of the situation in populous countries such as India. Historically and culturally, the preference for boys over girls have been alluded by various texts to be due to:

The family’s inability to support the child financially
Population control e.g. Amazonian, China’s one-child policy
Traditional customs
- In the Solomon Islands, some people were reported to kill their first-born and adopt a child from another island
- In certain cultures, males are viewed to be more important: ability to carry family name, work on farms, support parents in their old age
In times of adversity, e.g. famine, extreme poverty, parents have to choose which of their children will live or starve
Social unacceptance of newborn e.g. children of incest or illegitimate origins, cross-caste
Mothers’ psychological depression combined with unreadiness to care for child
The guy’s unwillingness to stand by his gal…
And whatever other shitty reasons people can think of