Conflict, rockets, and birth outcomes: evidence from Israel's Operation Protective Edge

Shirlee Lichtman-Sadot, Neta Bnehshalom-Tirosh and Eyal Sheiner
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Shirlee Lichtman-Sadot: Department of Economics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Neta Bnehshalom-Tirosh: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center
Eyal Sheiner: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center

JODE - Journal of Demographic Economics, 2025, vol. 91, issue 1, 119-145

Abstract: In summer 2014, southern Israel experienced rocket attacks from the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip on a nearly daily basis for over 50 consecutive days. We exploit this unexpected escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and variation across localities in Israel in the amount of sirens that warned of rocket attacks to measure the effect of conflict intensity on birth weight and gestation length among pregnant women during this period. In addition to the common notion that conflict intensity induces stress and anxiety, we show changes in prenatal care in response to sirens. This maternal behavioral response varies based on socioeconomic status, which ultimately differentially affected birth outcomes. While mothers ranked high socioeconomically likely had the resources to increase their prenatal care and shield their fetuses from the negative shock of sirens, mothers ranked low socioeconomically did not have these resources and even decreased prenatal care.

Keywords: Birth Outcomes; Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Prenatal care; Prenatal stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C53 G22 J11 M41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-03-25
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ctl:louvde:v:91:y:2025:i:1:p:119-145

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