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When children have children: The effects of child marriages and teenage pregnancies on early childhood mortality in Bangladesh

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  • Trommlerová, Sofia K.

Abstract

This paper examines the adverse effects of adolescent childbearing on early childhood mortality in Bangladesh in mother-fixed-effects regressions using individual mortality outcomes of 300,000 children. Children born to young mothers (child brides in Bangladesh) suffer from higher mortality in the first year of life than their siblings born later. The survival chances of children born to mothers aged 15−49 years are 48–81 % higher in infant period as compared to their siblings born in mother’s early adolescence (10−14 years). In poor households, these survival effects extend up to the fifth birthday, especially in the poorest households or among uneducated mothers. This evidence points towards a biological channel, probably low birth weight, as the main contributing factor in the first year of life. In the post-infant period, favorable socio-economic factors (wealth, education) seem to compensate the biological disadvantage of adolescent births. Adolescent pregnancies lead annually to estimated 18,700 under-5 deaths in Bangladesh.

Suggested Citation

  • Trommlerová, Sofia K., 2020. "When children have children: The effects of child marriages and teenage pregnancies on early childhood mortality in Bangladesh," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:39:y:2020:i:c:s1570677x2030174x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100904
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    Cited by:

    1. Aizawa, Toshiaki, 2021. "Inequality of opportunity in infant mortality in South Asia: A decomposition analysis of survival data," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    2. Basu, Shubhashrita & Gorry, Devon, 2021. "Consequences of teenage childbearing on child health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Teenage pregnancies; Child marriages; Early childhood mortality; Bangladesh; Mortality profile;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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