Differences are exhibited in the mortality of male and female children. It has been noted that the child death rates (1-4 years) of males are invariably higher than those of females in low mortality countries. However, in many developing countries, this pattern does not prevail. Probably the biological disadvantage of male children, are cancelled out by other factors. Higher child mortality for females than males has been found in the Indian subcontinent, parts of western south Asia and in some populations in northern Africa. In high mortality countries, infectious diseases coupled with malnutrition constitute the main causes of child mortality.
