Killing Me Softly: The Fetal Origins Hypothesis

Douglas Almond and Janet Currie

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2011, vol. 25, issue 3, 153-72

Abstract: In the epidemiological literature, the fetal origins hypothesis associated with David J. Barker posits that chronic, degenerative conditions of adult health, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, may be triggered by circumstances decades earlier, particularly, by in utero nutrition. Economists have expanded on this hypothesis, investigating a broader range of fetal shocks and circumstances and have found a wealth of later-life impacts on outcomes including test scores, educational attainment, and income, along with health. In the process, they have provided some of the most credible observational evidence in support of the hypothesis. The magnitude of the impacts is generally large. Thus, the fetal origins hypothesis has not only survived contact with economics, but has flourished.

JEL-codes: I12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.25.3.153
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (825)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.25.3.153 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aea:jecper:v:25:y:2011:i:3:p:153-72

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.aeaweb.org/journals/subscriptions

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Economic Perspectives is currently edited by Enrico Moretti

More articles in Journal of Economic Perspectives from American Economic Association Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Michael P. Albert ().