Why are so many girls abandoned?

Because of culture and tradition, male children are frequently perceived as more valuable to the survival of the family. Traditionally, it is the responsibility of the male child to care for his parents when they are no longer able to work or care for themselves, and to carry on the family name. Daughters marry into other families, and help care for the parents of their husbands. China does not have Social Security or retirement plans. Interest bearing investments are not available or affordable for most people. China is still a developing country.

If a couple's first baby is a boy, the baby is usually kept. If the baby is a girl, a second or third child, a child born outside of marriage, or a child with some physical abnormality, it may be abandoned. The children are not abandoned because they are unwanted. Pregnancies can be easily terminated in China. The children are born out of love and abandoned, as safely as possible, for the survival and security of the family.