With the development of prenatal sex detection technology, the issue of female fetus abortion has drawn increasing attention. Investments in girls can affect both the quantity and quality of girls. Studies have shown that along with the shocking increase of abortion, investments from parents also influence girls’ mortality rate and life outcomes. Overall, investments play a crucial role in shaping girls’ survival rate, parental care, and social status. Policy changes and introduction of new technologies have changed fertility investments and profoundly reshaped girls’ living conditions.
Access to sex detection caused more abortion of girls
Prenatal sex determination technology became prevalent in India, which led to a dramatic rise of sex-selective abortion of female fetuses. Each additional available ultrasound scanner increased the proportion of missing girls before birth. Meanwhile, the selective abortion further widened the gap between the number of boys and girls.
Investments narrowed under-five mortality gender gap
Although the abortion surged, investments in girls increased their chance of survival. The study found that the under-five mortality gender gap shrank with the spread of sex detection technology. For every three aborted girls, there was one more girl survived past five years old. The increased investments and moderated son-biased fertility stopping contributed to the narrowed gender gap.
Girls more likely born in lower-status families
While the mortality rate decreased, girls were more likely to be born in poorer households with lower social status. The improved survival was concentrated among girls in relatively disadvantaged families. The pattern was in part due to the diffusion of ultrasounds from upper-class to poorer families over time.
In India, access to sex detection led to more abortion of girls but also increased investments and narrowed under-five mortality gender gap. The survival improvement focused on girls from poorer families. Investments fundamentally reshaped both quantity and quality of girls.