Sex differences in infant and child mortality in three provinces in China

Despite the Communist governmentʹs campaign to narrow the sexual inequality in China since the 1949 Revolution, male dominance and son preference are still evident in many parts of the country. Using retrospective reports on infant and child mortality from the 1985 and 1987 In-Depth Fertility Surveys in Shaanxi, Liaoning and Guangdong provinces of China, the study examines the effects of this persistence of sexual inequality on the differential survival for males and females. The study shows that female infants and children have higher than expected mortality rates, suggesting that son preference may lead to discriminatory practices against females. The study also reveals that the one-child policy of the late 1970s has a strong influence on the survivorship for female infants and children.