Indian immigrants' 3rd child more likely to be a boy

[KT Samurai]

A study released today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal confirms previous research showing that the male-to-female ratio for third-born children to women born in India and living in Ontario is higher than the natural rate.

“The findings are highly unlikely to be due to chance,” says Dr. Joel Ray, the lead researcher, who is a clinician scientist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

Ray says his research was inspired by the controversial editorial written by Dr. Rajendra Kale, the former interim editor in chief of the CMAJ.

The January 2012 editorial suggested that what Kale called the “repugnant practice” of female feticide, or sex-selective abortion, played a part in previously studied high male-to-female sex ratios in specific ethnic groups in Canada.

The new study, prepared by Ray, Dr. David Henry and Marcelo Urquia, found that the third-child births of Indian-born women were at a ratio of 136 boys to 100 girls.

In comparison, third children of Canadian-born mothers in Ontario were born at the ratio of 105 boys to 100 girls, which is considered about normal for the worldwide average.

Although Ray says he hasn’t found other explanations than selective abortion for why there would be higher male-to-female ratios in the Indian population he says, “it would be unfair to speculate.”

There's more here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...a-mothers.html

Sex-selective abortion is not a new or localized problem. This is also happening in other nations with China apparently being among the worst of them.

Pretty goddamn horrifying to know that this is happening within my own nation, too.

[Sabbat]

The one-child law made China notorious for this. The "carry on the family name" mindset apparently overturns the "infanticide is bad" mindset. Good to know where each group sets their priorities.

[Oh Snap.]

Ah.

So thats why they had an indian onboard.

Sex-selective abortion is not a new or localized problem. This is also happening in other nations with China apparently being among the worst of them.

Outside of not letting indian couples know the sex of their child before hand (by withholding medical care/facilities but then there always private care...) which would kick off all kinds of sh1t, theres nothing the goverment can do, apart from outlawing the procedure altogether (like in some Indian states). That'll just drive it underground.

Indian/South Asian communities tend to be close knit and this problem is almost non-exitant in Canadian born so there is hope. But yeah, only they can change this. Its gonna take a generation or two.

edit

Just rtfa.

Sex selection for a fetus may occur as a result of abortion following an ultrasound, but another possibility is the implantation of embryos selected after in vitro fertilization. An ad in a South Asian newspaper published in Surrey, B.C., offers to help people create the family they want through testing and selecting embryos according to sex.


The practice is against the law in Canada, except in cases of testing for gender-specific diseases, but the clinic that offers the service is across the border in Washington state, where it is legal.

Someones actually making money of this.

*fake shock*

[Sabbat]

I know practically nothing about the Canadian constitution, but I do know that denying Indians access to knowledge of their child's gender would be shot down in America so fast it would make your head spin.

Also, selective embryo implantation and selective abortion are very different. When embryos are made, nobody takes all of them. So picking them based on gender as opposed to chance is statistically similar, but ethically (in my opinion) very different.

[~*Shi*~]

My boyfriend moved here from South East Asia (I'm Canadian) and whenever we get into the discussion on children, he always tells me, as if warning me, that I must have a son first. I just laughed and told him I don't care, the child would be whatever gender they want to be. He makes a big deal how having a son first would be important so as to keep me and any daughters safe... (now, I kind of get what he's getting at because this was his mindset. He's quite traditional/old fashioned and was raised mostly by women too since his dad passed away, so he promised to take care of his mom and sister) It's the mindset in his family too, but they're very against abortion.

At first I kind of didn't get this article, now I kind of do. It does seem a bit strange.

[Red_Dragon]

Well I'm West Indian (Not the same thing as the Indians here) and I have to say that this is an interesting study. I would like to see a study done here in America with Indians. I think that Women are more loyal to their parents long term then men.

I don't have kids, but I wouldn't care either way whether they are male or female.

[Ixioran]

I don't understand why people are so hung up on having male children. Females are awesome too! :O