Minding the shop: The case of obstetrics conferences

Joshua Gans, Andrew Leigh and Elena Varganova

Social Science & Medicine, 2007, vol. 65, issue 7, 1458-1465

Abstract: We estimate the impact of annual obstetricians and gynecologists' conferences on births in Australia and the United States. In both countries, the number of births drops by 2-4 percent during the days on which these conferences are held. Since it is unlikely that parents take these conferences into account when conceiving their child, this suggests that medical professions are timing births to suit their conference schedule. We argue that for this reason professional obstetrics societies should reconsider the timing of their annual conferences to accommodate the lowest natural birth rate in the year.

Keywords: Timing; of; births; Medical; care; Obstetrics; Conference; scheduling; Australia; USA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Working Paper: Minding the Shop: The Case of Obstetrics Conferences (2007)
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