The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on Maternal Health

Bütikofer, A.;, Riise, J.; and Meghan Skira

Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers from HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York

Abstract: We examine the impact of the introduction of paid maternity leave in Norway in 1977 on maternal health. Before the policy reform, mothers were eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Mothers giving birth after July 1, 1977 were entitled to 4 months of paid leave and 12 months of unpaid leave. We combine Norwegian administrative data with survey data on the health of women around age 40 and estimate the mediumand long-term impacts of the reform using regression discontinuity and difference-inregression discontinuity designs. Our results suggest paid maternity leave benefits are protective of maternal health. The reform improved a range of maternal health outcomes, including BMI, blood pressure, pain, and mental health, and it increased health-promoting behaviors, such as exercise and not smoking. The effects were larger for first-time and low-resource mothers and women who would have taken little unpaid leave in the absence of the reform. We also study the maternal health effects of subsequent expansions in paid maternity leave and find evidence of diminishing returns to leave length.

JEL-codes: I12 I18 J13 J18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on Maternal Health (2021)
Working Paper: The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on Maternal Health (2018)
Working Paper: The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on Maternal Health (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:yor:hectdg:18/22

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