Abstract
The last few census reports in India increasingly indicate a high male sex ratio among children in different parts of the country. A study was conducted to examine the trends in the sex ratio at birth of hospital deliveries in the state of Delhi, and their relation with various demographic and socio-economic factors. The study was based on the data available with the birth records of eight large hospitals in Delhi. Birth data of one of the hospitals was analysed in detail. Births were the unit of analysis and SRB based on hospital birth was the indicator for sex-selection practices. A 10-year study of SRB of hospitalised deliveries showed sharp increasing trends in masculinity from the beginning of the study period. Results also indicated intense son preference, resulting in sex selection, particularly if earlier children were girls. Any rigorous measures for control of population growth in India would be disastrous for the sex ratio at birth.