Son preference and low birth weight for girls

Abstract

While previous studies have confirmed the negative effects of son preference on the prenatal care received by girls, few have examined its effect on birth outcomes. This study contributes to the literature on son preference by examining this relationship. The degree of son preference is measured by the sex ratio at birth, and the data were obtained from the birth registry of South Korea, which has a long history of strong son preference. We find that girls are more likely to be born with low birth weight when son preference is stronger. In addition, when son preference is stronger, girls are more likely to be born outside hospitals, which implies that mothers conceiving girls make fewer prenatal visits to the hospital when their son preference is stronger.

Determinants of low birth weight and its effect on childhood health and nutritional outcomes in Bangladesh

“…Still, it needs to strengthen administrative coordination, establish a monitoring and evaluation framework, and increase multidimensional investment in education to improve female education and consequently health status. Furthermore, no preference for female children is often responsible for poor ANC visits and inadequate nutritional practice among mothers during pregnancy results in adverse birth outcome like LBW [44]. Despite substantial progress in primary health care over the last decades, only 47% of pregnant women in Bangladesh receive at least four ANC visits [45].…”