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The Consequences of Teenage Childbearing: Consistent Estimates When Abortion Makes Miscarriage Nonrandom

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Listed:
  • Kevin Lang

    (Boston University and NBER and IZA)

  • Adam Ashcraft

    (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

Abstract

We examine the e¤ect of teenage childbearing on the adult outcomes of a sample of women who gave birth, miscarried or had an abortion as teenagers. Because teens who abort are more favorably selected than the set of teens who become pregnant, teens who miscarry are less favorably selected than those who either give birth or abort but more favorably selected than those who give birth. Consequently, using miscarriage as an instrument for non- birth is biased towards a benign view of teen motherhood while OLS on a sample of those giving birth or miscarrying is biased towards a negative view. We derive a consistent estimate based on a weighted average of OLS and IV. The estimated e¤ects are generally adverse but modest.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin Lang & Adam Ashcraft, 2010. "The Consequences of Teenage Childbearing: Consistent Estimates When Abortion Makes Miscarriage Nonrandom," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series WP2010-016, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bos:wpaper:wp2010-016
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    References listed on IDEAS

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