The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amniocentesis decision

Thibault Gajdos (), Clémentine Garrouste and Pierre Geoffard
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Thibault Gajdos: LPC - Laboratoire de psychologie cognitive - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: Using a simple theoretical decision model and an original database, we were able to elicit the distribution of the utility value of having a child with Down syndrome for a large sample of French pregnant women (n = 28,341) between 2003 and 2007. We found that, on a scale where the value of a fetal death is 0 and the value of a healthy child is 1, the mean value for a child with Down syndrome is about −0.6. Assuming that the policymaker used the same decision model as the women, we infer from the French amniocentesis reimbursement regulation an implicit social value for a child with Down syndrome of −2.5. We conclude from our study that the policymaker is more likely to prevent the birth of children with Down syndrome than French women themselves.

Keywords: Amniocentesis choices; Expected utility framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-07
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Published in Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2016, 127, pp.59-69. ⟨10.1016/j.jebo.2016.04.014⟩

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Related works:
Working Paper: The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amnocentesis decision (2021)
Working Paper: The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amnocentesis decision (2021)
Working Paper: The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amnocentesis decision (2021)
Journal Article: The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amniocentesis decision (2016)
Working Paper: The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amniocentesis decision (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01314369

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2016.04.014

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