Malaria infection and fetal growth during the war: evidence from Liberia

Yuya Kudo

No 556, IDE Discussion Papers from Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO)

Abstract: This study investigates whether the Liberian civil war increased infant mortality by exposing pregnant women to a high risk of malaria infection, thus retarding fetal development. I find that the war-induced, one-percent increase in maternal infection risk resulted in a 0.44 percent increase in one-year mortality. This mortality effect gradually increased following childbirth as maternal passive immunity waned. The consequences were pronounced for infants conceived in rainy seasons by young mothers residing in rural, battle-intensive areas, with no gender difference detected. I also provide evidence suggesting the wartime culling of the weakest infants associated with maternal malaria infection.

Keywords: Liberia; Diseases; Maternal and infant welfare; Health and hygiene; Internal conflicts; Armed conflict; Fetal development; Infant mortality; Malaria in pregnancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-02-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-hea
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Published in IDE Discussion Paper = IDE Discussion Paper, No. 556. 2016-02-01

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