High Birth Weight and Cognitive Outcomes

Resul Cesur () and Inas Rashad
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Inas Rashad Kelly ()

No 14524, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: While the effects of low birth weight have long been explored, those of high birth weight have been essentially ignored. Economists have analyzed the negative effects that low birth weight might have on subsequent school outcomes, while taking into account unobserved characteristics that may be common to families with low birth weight babies and negative outcomes in terms of school test scores when children, in addition to labor market income when adults. Today, however, with increasing obesity rates in the United States, high birth weight has become a potential concern, and has been associated in the medical literature with an increased likelihood of becoming an overweight child, adolescent, and subsequently an obese adult. Overweight and obesity, in turn, are associated with a host of negative effects, including lower test scores in school and lower labor market prospects when adults. If studies only focus on low birth weight, they may underestimate the effects of ensuring that mothers receive adequate support during pregnancy. In this study we find that cognitive outcomes are adversely affected not only by low birth weight ( 4500 grams). Our results have policy implications in terms of provision of support for pregnant women.

JEL-codes: I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-lab
Note: EH
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

Published as Cesur, Resul; Kelly, Inas Rashad. From Cradle to Classroom: High Birth Weight and Cognitive Outcomes. Forum for Health Economics and Policy, Vol. 13: Iss. 2 (Health Economics), Article 2, 2010.

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