Fear itself: The effects of distressing economic news on birth outcomes

Kyle Carlson

Journal of Health Economics, 2015, vol. 41, issue C, 117-132

Abstract: I use new administrative data on mass layoffs and plant closings to study the effects of distressing economic news. Exposure to stressful events during pregnancy can impair fetal development. I find that announcement of impending job losses leads to a transient decrease in the mean birth weight within the firm's county one to four months before the job losses. A loss of 500 jobs corresponds roughly to a decrease of 15–20g and 16 percent greater risk of low birth weight. Layoffs announced late in pregnancy are most strongly linked to decreased birth outcomes.

Keywords: Health; Birth weight; Gestational age; Birth outcomes; Stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 J63 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (60)

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Working Paper: Fear itself: The effects of distressing economic news on birth outcomes (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:41:y:2015:i:c:p:117-132

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2015.02.003

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