Bangladesh, Aug. 24 -- The Trump administrations campaign against so-called “birth tourism” appears to be having an early deterrent effect among some wealthy Chinese families. Reports circulating on Chinese social media suggest that women who had planned to travel to the United States to give birth primarily so their children could obtain American citizenship are now reconsidering those plans. Increased visa scrutiny, reports of pregnant women being denied entry and warnings from US authorities have introduced a level of uncertainty that did not previously exist.

That development may represent an important change in a practice that has operated for years as a highly commercialized industry. Birth tourism is not simply about f...