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Do Cesarean Delivery rates rise when the economy declines? A test of the economic stress hypothesis

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  • Viluma, Laura

Abstract

A growing body of research supports the Barker hypothesis that adverse conditions around the time of birth have a negative effect on health. Nevertheless, the mechanisms linking early life conditions with health are still unclear. This paper investigates one of such potential mechanisms, specifically, ambient stress, by analyzing the effect of economic downturns as a stressor on the probability of Cesarean Delivery (CD). I focus particularly on male CD since the literature reports that male fetuses are more sensitive to stressors in utero than female fetuses. Using data from Lifelines, a large cohort study from the northern Netherlands, I show that the probability of CD for male babies increases when unemployment levels rise. This result suggests that maternal stress might be one of the mechanisms how early life economic conditions affect health.

Suggested Citation

  • 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).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:36:y:2020:i:c:s1570677x19300176
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2019.100816
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cesarean Delivery; Unemployment; Cohort studies; Early-life conditions; Stress; Health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

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