The effects of an epidemic on prenatal investments, childhood mortality and health of surviving children

Patricia I. Ritter () and Ricardo A. Sanchez ()
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Patricia I. Ritter: University of Connecticut
Ricardo A. Sanchez: Barcelona School of Economics

Journal of Population Economics, 2023, vol. 36, issue 1, No 17, 505-544

Abstract: Abstract The potential death toll from an epidemic is larger than the number of deaths directly associated with the infection. In this study, we find that prenatal exposure to a cholera epidemic in Peru increased childhood mortality and that surviving children were more likely to be underweight and to suffer from diarrhea. We further find that a significant part of this mortality happened during the first day of life, and that prenatal exposure to cholera decreased prenatal care and institutional deliveries, suggesting that the mortality and possibly other longer-term effects were partially driven by a reduction in prenatal investments.

Keywords: Childhood mortality; Parental investments; Epidemics; In utero; Prenatal care; Institutional deliveries; Infectious diseases; Diarrheal diseases; Cholera (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 J10 O10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-022-00886-1

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