Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants or offspring. Infanticide was a widespread practice throughout human history that was mainly used to dispose of unwanted children, its main purpose being the prevention of resources being spent on weak or disabled offspring. Unwanted infants were usually abandoned to die of exposurโฆ See more
The practice of infanticide has taken many forms over time. Child sacrifice to supernatural figures or forces, such as that โฆ See more
Infanticide has become less common in the Western world. The frequency has been estimated to be 1 in approximately 3000 to 5000 children of all ages and 2.1 per 100,000 newborns per year. It is thought that infanticโฆ See more
There are various reasons for infanticide. Neonaticide typically has different patterns and causes than for the killing of older infants. Traditional neonaticide is often related to economic necessity โ the inability to provide fโฆ See more
In New South Wales, infanticide is defined in Section 22A(1) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) as follows: Where a woman by any willful act or omission causes the death of her child, being a chilโฆ See more
Since infanticide, especially neonaticide, is often a response to an unwanted birth, preventing unwanted pregnancies through improved sex education and increased contraceptive access are advocated as ways of preโฆ See more