An Indian official in the state of Maharashta is considering a ban on portable ultrasounds in an effort to crack down on illegal sex-selective abortions, the Times of India reports. The state, whose capital is Mumbai, has a lopsided sex ratio, which its health minister blames on abortions of female fetuses -- a practice often carried out after illegal sex-determination tests using ultrasound scanners, authorities allege. In Maharashtra, a 2011 census found there were, on average, 883 girls for every 1,000 boys, according to The Hindu. The national average was 914 girls for every 1,000 boys.
