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Mitigating the Effects of Low Birth Weight: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Adoptees

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  • Brian Beach

    (Department of Economics, The College of William and Mary)

  • Martin Saavedra

    (Department of Economics, Oberlin College)

Abstract

Infants who are underweight at birth earn less, score lower on tests, and become less educated as adults. Previous studies have found mixed evidence that socioeconomic status mitigates these effects. In this paper, we reconcile these findings using a unique data set in which adoptees were quasi-randomly assigned to families. We find that median income within a zip code mitigates the effects of low birth weight, as in Currie and Moretti (2007). Interactions between low birth weight and other family characteristics are not statistically significant, which is consistent with Currie and Hyson (1999). These results cannot be explained by differences in genetics, prenatal health care, or neonatal health care.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Beach & Martin Saavedra, 2015. "Mitigating the Effects of Low Birth Weight: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Adoptees," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(3), pages 275-296, Summer.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:amjhec:v:1:y:2015:i:3:p:275-296
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    Cited by:

    1. Brandon J. Restrepo, 2016. "Parental investment responses to a low birth weight outcome: who compensates and who reinforces?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 29(4), pages 969-989, October.
    2. Saavedra, Martin, 2020. "Birth weight and infant health for multiple births," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Jonas Minet Kinge, 2017. "Variation in the relationship between birth weight and subsequent obesity by household income," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Buckles, Kasey, 2017. "Maternal Socio-Economic Status and the Well-Being of the Next Generation(s)," IZA Discussion Papers 10714, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    low birth weight; prenatal health care; neonatal health care.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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