Infanticide/neonaticide: The outlier situation in the United States

• Historical perspectives on infanticide/neonaticide
• Social and clinical characteristics of neonaticide
• Neonaticides as basically an adolescent phenomena
• Philosophical issues
• Comparative dispositions in 50 countries

Comparing the contemporary situation of neonaticides and infanticides in the United States with other countries reveals two salient factors: (1) The punishment and disposition exacted on women in the United States is often extreme, and (2) The unpredictability of the legal disposition in such cases is pervasive, varying from a homicide conviction to probation. This is partly due, at least initially, to cases being classified under some degree of homicide. Although the focus in this article is on neonaticides, none of the 50 states have any special infanticide or neonaticide statutes in contrast to the majority of other countries. Statutes of 50 other countries are provided in an Appendix A. A review of earlier historical and cultural approaches is given preliminary to discussion of the outlier situation presently existing in the United States.