Something in the Water: Contaminated Drinking Water and Infant Health

Janet Currie, Joshua Graff Zivin, Katherine Meckel, Matthew Neidell and Wolfram Schlenker

No 18876, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper provides estimates of the effects of in utero exposure to contaminated drinking water on fetal health. We examine the universe of birth records and drinking water testing results for the state of New Jersey from 1997 to 2007. Our data enable us to compare outcomes across siblings who were potentially exposed to differing levels of harmful contaminants from drinking water while in utero. We find small effects of drinking water contamination on all children, but large and statistically significant effects on birth weight and gestation of infants born to less educated mothers. We also show that those mothers who were most affected by contaminants were the least likely to move between births in response to contamination.

JEL-codes: I12 Q51 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-hea
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Published as Janet Currie & Joshua Graff Zivin & Katherine Meckel & Matthew Neidell & Wolfram Schlenker, 2013. "Something in the water: contaminated drinking water and infant health," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, vol 46(3), pages 791-810.

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Journal Article: Something in the water: contaminated drinking water and infant health (2013)
Journal Article: Something in the water: contaminated drinking water and infant health (2013)
Working Paper: Something in the water: contaminated drinking water and infant health (2013)
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