Saving Babies: The Contribution of Sheppard-Towner to the Decline in Infant Mortality in the 1920s

Carolyn Moehling and Melissa Thomasson ()

No 17996, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: From 1922 to 1929, the Sheppard-Towner Act provided matching grants to states to fund maternal and infant care education initiatives. We examine the effects of this public health program on infant mortality. States engaged in different types of activities, allowing us to examine whether different interventions had differential effects on mortality. Interventions that provided one-on-one contact and opportunities for follow-up care, such as home visits by public health nurses, reduced infant deaths more than classes and conferences. Overall, we estimate that Sheppard-Towner activities can account for 9 to 21 percent of the decline in infant mortality over the period.

JEL-codes: H51 I18 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-his
Note: DAE
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published as “Saving Babies: The Impact of Public Health Education Programs on Infant Mortality.” (with Carolyn Moehling). Demography, 51(2), April 2014, 367-386.

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