Question

what is the difference between infanticide and abortion?

Answer 1

Infanticide is killing a living, breathing baby that has actually been born. That is... a baby is born and then it is killed. I think it's still infanticide if a baby up to a year old is killed, but the precise definition probably depends on the laws where you are. It used to be common in many cultures (still is in parts of India, as far as I know) and is also seen in many animal species. It is a major taboo in Western culture and is seen as a depraved act.

Abortion is ending a pregnancy, generally early on, before the embryo has developed a brain or other essential organs and thus cannot feel pain. Technically it's still abortion if the pregnancy is ended shortly before the baby is due, but that's really uncommon and generally done for medical reasons (e.g. if there are major complications and the mother's life is in danger, or to save the baby the pain of dying "naturally" after birth due to a terminal birth defect). Some view abortion as killing a baby (I don't hold that view: I view it as a valuable potential life that should nevertheless not be held as more valuable than a life that has already started), but it is distinct from infanticide in that it occurs before birth.