Selective foeticide: AIIMS study reveals dark side of Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) The posh south Delhi has a darksecret, as an AIIMS study on medico-legal autopsy findings of238 foetuses and newborns abandoned in the area between1996-2012 points towards female foeticide in the nationalcapital. The recent study by the premier medical institution alsosuggested that nearly 35 per cent of the cases in these 17years were stillborn, 29 per cent were born alive and 36 percent were born before the period of viability. "Among the live born, death by homicide was more commonthan a natural death and most were left by the roadside," itsays. Among the total number of cases, males were predominant,but on closer examination it was observed that "females out-numbered males" among the foetuses five month (20 weeks) ofgestational age, Dr C Behera, one of the co-authors, said. "Owing to the societal bias in favour of a male, thiscould mean that selective female foeticide happened duringthis period. In India, medical abortion is allowed only up to20 weeks of gestational age and criminal abortions andselective female foeticide subsequent to antenatal sexdetermination are more likely before 20 weeks of pregnancy,"he said. This is the first study from India to discuss allforensically-known cases of abandoned foetuses and newbornsover 17 years from the region of south Delhi, claims the studypublished in the latest issue of Medico-Legal Journal of theUK. "Though, we analysed autopsy reports of such cases in ourown jurisdiction area, ie, south Delhi, similar cases havealso been reported in other areas, though we do not have anydefinitive study on that. But I can tell you that 238 foetusesand newborns abandoned is only the tip of the iceberg forDelhi," Behera told PTI. Foeticide and abandonment of newborns are important,albeit frequently neglected, issues. Concealment of childbirth is often seen in the setting of unwanted pregnancy whichhas been recognised as one of the most important factors inboth the cases. Among the live born cases, the majority of the deathswere attributed to murder (77 per cent), followed by naturalcauses (19 per cent) and accidental (1 per cent), the studysaid. (MORE) PTI KNDRT