China's One-Child Family Policy

To the Editor: Hesketh and colleagues (Sept. 15 issue)¹ provide an interesting survey of the effects of the infamous Chinese one-child policy after 25 years. However, I was somewhat taken aback by the authors' editorial statement that “relaxation of the policy can be considered only if fertility aspirations are such that a baby boom will not result.” Certainly, this is the same sort of argument that tyrannical regimes have given for continuing their oppressive policies, from apartheid and dictatorships to the oppression of women and just about any other human-rights violation through history. The policy of one child per family . . .