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The returns to early-life interventions for very low birth weight children

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  • Chyn, Eric
  • Gold, Samantha
  • Hastings, Justine

Abstract

We use comprehensive administrative data from Rhode Island to measure the impact of early-life interventions for low birth weight newborns. Our analysis relies on a regression discontinuity design based on the 1,500 g threshold for Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) status. We find that threshold crossing causes more intense in-hospital care, in line with prior studies. In terms of later-life outcomes, we show that threshold crossing causes a 0.34 standard deviation increase in test scores in elementary and middle school, a 17.1 percentage point increase in the probability of college enrollment, and a $66,997 decrease in social program expenditures by age 14.

Suggested Citation

  • Chyn, Eric & Gold, Samantha & Hastings, Justine, 2021. "The returns to early-life interventions for very low birth weight children," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:75:y:2021:i:c:s0167629620310468
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102400
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    2. Dougan, William & García, Jorge Luis & Polovnikov, Illia, 2023. "High-Quality Early-Childhood Education at Scale: Evidence from a Multisite Randomized Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 16442, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Anthony Bald & Eric Chyn & Justine Hastings & Margarita Machelett, 2022. "The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(7), pages 1919-1962.
    4. Garrouste, Clémentine & Juet, Arthur & Samson, Anne-Laure, 2023. "Direct and crowding-out effects of a Hepatitis B vaccination campaign," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    5. Stephen B. Billings & Eric Chyn & Kareem Haggag, 2021. "The Long-Run Effects of School Racial Diversity on Political Identity," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 3(3), pages 267-284, September.
    6. Lee, Ines, 2024. "Co-benefits from health and health systems to education," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    7. Damian Clarke & Nicolas Lillo Bustos & Kathya Tapia-Schythe, 2022. "Estimating Inter-generational Returns to Medical Care: New Evidence from At-Risk Newborns," Working Papers wp537, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    8. Mattan Alalouf & Sarah Miller & Laura R. Wherry, 2019. "What Difference Does a Diagnosis Make? Evidence from Marginal Patients," NBER Working Papers 26363, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Medical care; Early-life interventions;

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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