Fetal Growth and Neurobehavioral Outcomes in Childhood

Pinka Chatterji, Dohyung Kim and Kajal Lahiri

No 4998, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: Using a sample of sibling pairs from a nationally representative U.S. survey, we examine the effects of the fetal growth rate on a set of neurobehavioral outcomes in childhood measured by parent-reported diagnosed developmental disabilities and behavior problems. Based on models that include mother fixed effects, we find that the fetal growth rate, a marker for the fetal environment, is negatively associated with lifetime diagnosis of developmental delay. We also find that the fetal growth rate is negatively associated with disruptive behaviors among male children. These results suggest that developmental disabilities and problem behaviors may play a role in explaining the well-documented association between birth weight and human capital outcomes measured in adulthood.

Keywords: low birth weight; fetal growth; neurobehavioral outcomes; developmental disabilities; Behavior Problems Index (BPI) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Journal Article: Fetal growth and neurobehavioral outcomes in childhood (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4998

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