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Economic downturns and infant health

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  • Alessie, Rob
  • Angelini, Viola
  • Mierau, Jochen O.
  • Viluma, Laura

Abstract

We study the gender-specific impact of macroeconomic conditions around birth on infant health. We use a sample of over 50,000 respondents born between 1950 and 1994 from Lifelines—a cohort and biobank from the northern Netherlands. Our results show that high provincial unemployment rates decrease fertility and lead to a lower birthweight in boys. The negative impact of high unemployment on birthweight is particularly strong for boys born to older mothers and for babies born to smoking mothers.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessie, Rob & Angelini, Viola & Mierau, Jochen O. & Viluma, Laura, 2018. "Economic downturns and infant health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 162-171.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:30:y:2018:i:c:p:162-171
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2018.07.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Aparicio, Ainoa & González, Libertad & Vall Castelló, Judit, 2020. "Newborn health and the business cycle: The role of birth order," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    2. Alessie, Rob J.M. & Angelini, Viola & van den Berg, Gerard J. & Mierau, Jochen O. & Viluma, Laura, 2019. "Economic conditions at birth and cardiovascular disease risk in adulthood: Evidence from post-1950 cohorts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 77-84.
    3. Viluma, Laura, 2020. "Do Cesarean Delivery rates rise when the economy declines? A test of the economic stress hypothesis," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    4. Lin, Chung-Liang, 2021. "Postpartum medical utilization: The role of prenatal economic activity and living costs," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. Balsa, Ana I. & Triunfo, Patricia, 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic and birth outcomes in 2020: The role of prenatal care and other channels," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    6. Seiz, Marta & Salazar, Leire & Eremenko, Tatiana, 2024. "Perinatal health in Spain during and after the Great Recession: Educational selection into fertility as a protective factor in high unemployment contexts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    7. Jimena Pacheco & Natascha Wagner, 2023. "Long‐term impacts of an early childhood shock on human capital: Evidence from the 1999 economic crisis in Ecuador," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(11), pages 2460-2476, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Birthweight; Unemployment; Cohort studies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts

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