Prenatal Scanning

Widespread use of ultrasound technology has given couples the chance to find out the gender of their child during pregnancy. For many couples, this is an exciting time. They may show no preference for whether their child is a boy or girl and will provide the necessary care for their growth and development. For others, it is the moment that they decide whether to abort the pregnancy or not.

It is common in countries, such as China, to employ gender selection to ensure the birth of a son rather than a daughter. According to Erik Eckholm, author of The New York Times article Desire for Sons Drives Use of Prenatal Scans in China, recent studies and data have shown that villagers in China are utilizing prenatal scans followed by abortion for unwanted daughters. In the last decade, China had “the largest gender disparity among newborns” (Eckholm). During this time of economic growth, the gap between male and female births had become larger.

So what is so great about boys? The perspective varies throughout cultures, but the general belief is that men can work harder to provide for their families while although woman can also perform these tasks, are “not as good” as men. In China, there is a dependence on boys to preform the labor-intensive work of farming in rural villages of the countryside. Eckholm also states that because of the strict family planning limits in these regions, rural areas involve fines for bearing more than one or two children. Knowing this, we can understand the perspective of a rural Chinese family wanting to give birth to a boy rather than a girl. Not because they wouldn’t express affection to a daughter, but because a son is more valuable for their survival.

Learning about the sex of a fetus has become easier for the country because of the availability of ultrasound scanners. Small-town hospitals will perform ultrasound tests without any questions asked for a small fee. By 2000, the disparity in births had grown to 117 boys for every 100 girls (Eckholm).  From this, we can begin to understand that this had become a culturally accepted norm. It is easy for people of other cultures to judge such actions. In the US, abortion is a very sensitive topic and raises many issues culturally and politically. Lise Eliot, author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps- and What We Can Do About It, also discusses this topic. In her book, she states that modern technology has made it increasingly possible to control this fate, as demonstrated in many Asian countries (Eliot, 24). Her data illustrates that Chinese, Korean, and Indian nationalities in the US also demonstrate this trend in higher male births than female in comparison to white Americans.

             To many Americans, these actions may seem wrong. However, it is critical to take into account that we are from varying cultures. The average working American man is not required to perform physical labor in fields to provide food for his family. This is a different story for men of rural villages in the Chinese countryside. From this, we must take into account all the factors that drive a couple to decide whether to continue with a pregnancy or to abort it.

References

Eckholm, Erik. "Desire for Sons Drives Use of Prenatal Scans in China." The New York Times. N.p., 21 June 2002. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/21/international/asia/21CHIN.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DSectionFront%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3Dscience%26t%3Dqry627%23%2Fprenatal%2Bsex%2Bdetermination%2F>.

Eliot, Lise. “Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps and What We Can Do About It.” New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 2009. Print