Booth B E, Verma M, Beri R S
Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
BMJ. 1994 Nov 12;309(6964):1259-61. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6964.1259.
To determine the proportion of children whose sex was determined prenatally among those attending one Indian hospital and to identify factors which affect use of fetal sex determination.
Cross sectional study using interviews with mothers.
Medical school hospital in Punjab, India.
596 children delivered or seen for inpatient or outpatient care.
Fetal sex determination, sex of child, number and sex of siblings, type of care received, socioeconomic status, and maternal education.
Sex had been determined prenatally for fewer girls (5/236, 2%) than boys (49/360, 14%). Fetal sex determination had been done for only 2% (3/154) of first born boys compared with 18% (12/66) with one older sister and no older brother and 63% (30/48) with more than one older sister and no older brother. Only four boys whose sex had been determined prenatally had older brothers. The five girls whose sex had been determined prenatally either had a male twin or were incorrectly identified as male. Prenatal sex determination had been done for 21% (26/122) of boys admitted for inpatient care compared with 11% (19/173) seen as outpatients. Use of fetal sex determination increased with increasing monthly income (chi2 for trend = 6.384, P = 0.0115). None of the mothers who had had no education had used fetal sex determination, but among mothers with some education the frequency of use did not change with increasing education. The sex ratio of children born at the hospital rose from 107 boys/100 girls in 1982 to 132 boys/100 girls in 1993.
Fetal sex determination was common, especially if the family already had daughters. Sex determination seems to be driven by a desire to have sons, with socioeconomic status and education having little effect. The lower prevalence of fetal sex determinations for girls is likely to be due to abortion of fetuses found to be female.
确定在一家印度医院就诊的儿童中产前确定性别的儿童比例,并找出影响胎儿性别鉴定使用情况的因素。
采用对母亲进行访谈的横断面研究。
印度旁遮普邦的医学院附属医院。
596名住院分娩或接受住院或门诊治疗的儿童。
胎儿性别鉴定、儿童性别、兄弟姐妹的数量和性别、接受的护理类型、社会经济地位以及母亲的教育程度。
产前确定性别的女孩(5/236,2%)少于男孩(49/360,14%)。头胎男孩中仅2%(3/154)进行了胎儿性别鉴定,相比之下,有一个姐姐且无哥哥的男孩中这一比例为18%(12/66),有多个姐姐且无哥哥的男孩中这一比例为63%(30/48)。产前确定性别的男孩中只有4人有哥哥。产前确定性别的5名女孩要么有一个男性双胞胎,要么被错误地鉴定为男性。住院男孩中21%(26/122)进行了产前性别鉴定,而门诊就诊男孩中这一比例为11%(19/173)。随着月收入增加,胎儿性别鉴定的使用增加(趋势χ² = 6.384,P = 0.0115)。未受过教育的母亲中无人使用胎儿性别鉴定,但在受过一定教育的母亲中,使用频率并未随着教育程度的提高而改变。该医院出生儿童的性别比从1982年的107名男孩/100名女孩上升到1993年的132名男孩/100名女孩。
胎儿性别鉴定很常见,尤其是在家庭已有女儿的情况下。性别鉴定似乎是出于想要儿子的愿望,社会经济地位和教育程度影响不大。女孩胎儿性别鉴定的较低患病率可能是由于发现为女性的胎儿被堕胎。