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Intrafamily Resource Allocations: A Dynamic Model of Birth Weight

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Author Info
del Bono, Emilia
Ermisch, John F
Francesconi, Marco

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Abstract

This paper estimates a model of dynamic intrahousehold investment behavior which incorporates family fixed effects and child endowment heterogeneity. This framework is applied to large American and British survey data on birth outcomes, with focus on the effects of antenatal parental smoking and maternal labor supply net of other maternal behavior and child characteristics. We find that maternal smoking during pregnancy reduces birth weight and fetal growth, while paternal smoking has virtually no effect. Mothers' work interruptions of up to two months before birth have a positive effect on birth outcomes, especially among British children. Parental behavior appears to respond to permanent family-specific unobservables and to child idiosyncratic endowments in a way that suggests that parents have equal concerns, rather than efficiency motives, in allocating their prenatal inputs across children. Evidence of equal concerns emerges also from the analysis of breastfeeding decisions, although the effects in this case are weaker.

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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 6970.

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Date of creation: Sep 2008
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Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6970

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Related research
Keywords: Birth outcomes; child health production functions; instrumental variables; mother's work; sibling estimators; smoking;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data
D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production
J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. T. Paul Schultz, 2009. "Population and Health Policies," Working Papers 974, Economic Growth Center, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
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