High Rates of Death and Disease

In the less developed nations, several factors contribute to the especially high rates of death and disease among infants who are not breastfed. First, in addition to the inherent nutritional limitations of breast milk substitutes, bottle-feeding itself can expose infants to tremendous risks. Infant formula is typically sold as a powder females overall. The ratio is considerably more skewed in rural areas and for second births to a couple.

Those who support prenatal sex selection argue that selective abortion causes little harm, whereas the birth of unwanted girls in poorer nations can financially strain families, leave mothers open to ridicule or even physical abuse, and result in child neglect, abuse, or abandonment. Those who oppose prenatal sex selection argue that it does more harm than good because it reinforces the low status of females. Although in rare circumstances families use medical technologies to ensure that their babies are female (such as families with a history of hemophilia, a disease that affects only males), in the less developed nations, prenatal sex selection almost always means selecting males. However, in the more developed nations, the preference for sons has declined substantially or even reversed.

When families select male fetuses over female fetuses, they proclaim male babies preferable. Moreover, when health care workers help families to select male babies, the workers in essence validate this preference. Finally, when health care workers assist in prenatal sex selection—whether helping families to select males or females—they reinforce the idea that males and females are inherently different. After all, if male and female personalities, interests, and aptitudes were more similar than different, why would families need to choose one over the other?

In sum, to assess the ethics of prenatal sex selection, we need to weigh the potential benefits and costs for families and for society as a whole.