Does Air Pollution Matter for Low Birth Weight?

Seonyeong Cho, Choongki Lee and Beomsoo Kim ()

No 1201, Discussion Paper Series from Institute of Economic Research, Korea University

Abstract: There is growing concern that air pollution may impact the health of newborns. This study examines this issue by considering overtime variation generated by exogenous changes in the pollution level in Korea in early 2000, when some part of Korea experienced huge drop in air pollution. We matched the census of all births from 1998 to 2008 and air pollution data in mother¡¯s residence county level. For air pollutants, we considered carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and ozone levels. The mother¡¯s exposure to one ozone level above 0.12 ppm per hour during the first trimester increased the probability of low birth weight by 0.4 percentage point (0.08% of the sample mean). On the other hand, the mother¡¯s exposure to carbon monoxide or sulfur dioxide during the third trimester led to a significant but modest increase in the probability of low birth weight. The results indicate that the effects of an air pollutant on the probability of low birth weight vary according to wh en the mother is exposed to the pollutant during the pregnancy.

Keywords: Air Pollution; Ozone; Carbon Monoxide; Sulfur Dioxide; Nitrogen Dioxide; Low Birth Weight (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-ene, nep-env and nep-hea
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iek:wpaper:1201

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