Changing trend? Sex ratios of children born to Indian immigrants in Norway revisited

Tønnessen, Marianne; Aalandslid, Vebjørn; Skjerpen, Terje

doi:10.1186/1471-2393-13-170

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…One potential explanation for this change is that the nature of immigrants who leave India for England and Wales has changed [ 11 ], and those who arrive in the 21 st century are less susceptible to the cultural and economic pressures that create the environment where sex-selective abortion is acceptable. A recent analysis of data from the Norwegian Central Population Register similarly did not demonstrate an excess of male births compared to females from 2006 to 2012 [ 12 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the mothers’ country of birth associated with the sex of their offspring in England and Wales from 2007 to 2011?

Smith

Fogarty

2014

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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BackgroundPreference for sons in India has resulted in a skewed sex ratio at live birth, probably as a consequence of female feticide. However, it is unclear if these cultural preferences are also currently present in communities who have emigrated from India to England and Wales.MethodsData of all live births in England and Wales from 2007–2011 were obtained from the Office of National Statistics. A logistic regression analysis was used to compare the probability of having a male infant in mothers born inside the United Kingdom (UK) to those born outside the UK, stratified by mothers’ region and country of birth.ResultsMothers born in India were not observed to be giving birth to disproportionately more boys than mothers that were born in the UK (Odds Ratio OR: 1.00, 95% Confidence Interval CI: 0.98 - 1.02), although an excess of male births were observed in mothers born in South-East Asia (OR 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, p = 0.005), the Middle East (OR 1.02; 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, p = 0.047), and South America (1.04; 95% CI: 1.00-1.07, p = 0.025). Mothers who were born in Africa were found to be less likely to give birth to boys than girls when compared to mothers born in the UK (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99), and this observation was attributable to women born in East and West Africa.ConclusionThere was no evidence of an excess of males born to women from India in England and Wales. An excess of males were observed in mothers born in South-East Asia, the Middle East and South America. Women born in Africa are less likely to give birth to boys than UK born mothers, an observation that is consistent with previous data.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the mothers’ country of birth associated with the sex of their offspring in England and Wales from 2007 to 2011?

Smith

Fogarty

2014

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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“…A first study did find some indications of a skewed sex ratio in higher parities (3th and 4 th ) for Indian-born mothers (but not Pakistani-born mothers), but the authors acknowledged that the sample was small, and the evidence weak (Singh et al 2010). More recent research offers no evidence for skewed sex ratios at birth (Tønnessen et al 2013). The Norwegian health care system does not allow early ultrasounds that are necessary to establish the sex of the fetus early enough to allow for legal abortions (before the 12 th week of pregnancy).…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Immigrant mothers’ preferences for children’s sexes: A register-based study of fertility behaviour in Norway

Lillehagen

Lyngstad

2018

Population Studies

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Parental sex preferences have been documented in many native populations, but much less evidence is available on immigrants' preferences for the sexes of their children. Using high-quality longitudinal register data from Norway, a country with a recent immigration history, we estimate hazards regression models of third birth risks by the sex composition of the first two children. A central question in the extant literature is whether the sex preferences of immigrant mothers match those observed in their country of origin, or if cultural adaption to local conditions is more important. Our analyses indicate that the sex preferences of immigrants generally match those previously documented for their native population, especially in the case of son preferences. The pattern of sex preferences is unmodified by the mother's exposure to the host society. In sum, our evidence generally supports theories emphasizing cultural persistence in preferences, rather than theories of adaption or immigrant selectivity.

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“…Similar male‐biased SRB have been observed in immigrant populations of other countries, particularly the Indian‐ and/or Chinese‐born populations of Spain, Canada, (including second‐generation mothers), Norway (although some research contradicts this), Sweden, Greece, Italy, Australia, and the United States . These trends are most evident with higher birth orders; women in these demographics with two or more girls are generally much more likely to have a boy in following pregnancies.…”

Section: Current Evidence For Sex Selectionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Sex selection and non‐invasive prenatal testing: A review of current practices, evidence, and ethical issues

et al. 2019

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Non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) can determine the sex of the fetus very accurately and very early in gestation. There are concerns that the ease, timing, and accuracy of NIPT sex determination will facilitate sex‐selective termination of pregnancy (TOP). Here, we review current practices, the evidence for a link between NIPT and sex‐selective TOP, and associated ethical issues. Sex‐selective TOP, usually motivated by son preference, has had serious demographic consequences in countries such as India and China. Currently, ultrasound is the primary method by which parents determine the sex of the fetus. The diffusion of ultrasound technology has had a direct impact on the rates of sex‐selective TOP. Although NIPT is currently more costly, it is feasible that increased uptake of this technology could have a similar effect. Partly because NIPT is a relatively recent development in prenatal screening, there is little data on the impact of NIPT on sex selection practices. Evidence that NIPT is playing a role in sex‐selective TOP remains largely anecdotal. Further research is required to assess and quantify TOP resulting from NIPT sex determination. The use of these technologies for sex selection raises a number of ethical issues, in addition to practical demographic consequences.

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Changing trend? Sex ratios of children born to Indian immigrants in Norway revisited

Cited by 19 publications

References 7 publications

Is the mothers’ country of birth associated with the sex of their offspring in England and Wales from 2007 to 2011?

Is the mothers’ country of birth associated with the sex of their offspring in England and Wales from 2007 to 2011?

Immigrant mothers’ preferences for children’s sexes: A register-based study of fertility behaviour in Norway

Sex selection and non‐invasive prenatal testing: A review of current practices, evidence, and ethical issues

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