It's similar to stories I've heard about South American natives. One I heard is that when the women gave birth first a hole would be dug. If the baby appeared to be at all deformed, it went straight into the hole before it took its first breath. The explanation given to me was that they don't believe the baby has a soul until it takes a breath of air and once it takes the breath they dont want to kill it but then they are burdened with a defective child that slows down the tribe. That was terrible!!!!