Question: I've been taught that a *child* is gender-neutral noun. But in the textbook on linguistics I've been reading, the noun is used as feminine. For example, a sentence in the book goes like this:

> 
> The child must also learn many aspects of grammar from her specific linguistic environment.
> 
> 
> 

Is there an explanation for the use of the pronoun *her* instead of *its*?

Answer: 
Child **is** gender neutral. As a result, when referring to a child, one must then choose a pronoun **he**, **she** or **they** when referring to the said child, as English does not have a gender neutral way of referring to that individual. This causes a problem for writers. Whatever you choose could be wrong.

Some would write **he**, but that sounds sexist and presumptive. Some write **they**, but this does not confirm the singular as it could refer to many. As an alternative some writers have taken to using **she** to balance those that historically have used the masculine form.

Other writers go to great lengths to avoid any of these forms by just rewriting the sentences completely.

Stack Exchange questions and answers have the same problem. Do we refer to a writer as **he**, **she**, **they**...? Whatever one chooses makes implications that it may not be correct.

We almost never use **it** or **its** to refer to a child, as this form is reserved for objects and not people and thus is considered to be demeaning.
Child is not gender neutral, but it is gender normative. In modern English it is gender neutral, but it depends upon its use and more importantly it derives from kilþei a Gothic word for Womb. It entered Old English with a female gender moniker and retained it only until the onset of Modern English. Arguably, Child/Cild is thus feminine in gender reference especially within given contexts referencing pregnancy. While it has been made neuter through over usage. 

This reflects the gender bias but gender normative nature of the word "guys". While masculine in nature and in its original usage, it has also gained a neutral usage.