Does unemployment worsen babies’ health? A tale of siblings, maternal behaviour, and selection

Elisabetta De Cao, Barry McCormick and Catia Nicodemo

Journal of Health Economics, 2022, vol. 83, issue C

Abstract: We study in-utero exposure to economic fluctuations on birth outcomes by exploiting geographical variation in the unemployment rate across local areas in England, and by comparing siblings born to the same mother. Using rich individual data from hospital administrative records for 2003–2012, babies’ health is found to be strongly pro-cyclical. This overall result masks marked differences between babies born in the most affluent areas whose health at birth improves in a recession, and babies born in the average-to-lowest income deprived areas whose health deteriorates. Maternal alcohol consumption, smoking, and delay in the first antenatal care assessment - combined with parental income loss, are found to drive the results. While differences in maternal risky behaviours can explain the heterogenous effects.

Keywords: Unemployment rate; Birth outcomes; Birthweight; Fertility; England (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E24 I10 I12 J13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Does unemployment worsen babies’ health? A tale of siblings, maternal behaviour, and selection (2022)
Working Paper: Does unemployment worsen babies' health? A tale of siblings, maternal behaviour and selection (2019)
Working Paper: Does Unemployment Worsen Babies' Health? A Tale of Siblings, Maternal Behaviour and Selection (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:83:y:2022:i:c:s0167629622000212

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102601

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