Baby-farming was a term used in Victorian England to mean the taking in of an infant for a small payment, with an understanding that nursing care would be provided; improper treatment was usually implied. Illegitimacy, and its attendant stigma, were the impetus for this practice.
It was more profitable for the infant to die, since the small payment could not cover the care of the child. Some women were caught murdering these children, and were executed. Margaret Waters and Mary Hall were two infamous baby farmers.
More recently, the term has been used to describe the sale of eggs for use in in vitro fertilization.
