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Birth Spacing, Fertility and Neonatal Mortality in India: Dynamics, Frailty and Fecundity

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Author Info
Sonia Bhalotra () (University of Bristol)
Arthur van Soest () (RAND, Tilburg University and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

A dynamic panel data model of neonatal mortality and birth spacing is analyzed, accounting for causal effects of birth spacing on subsequent mortality and of mortality on the length of the next birth interval, while controlling for unobserved heterogeneity in mortality (frailty) and birth spacing (fecundity). The model is estimated using micro data on almost 30,000 children of 7,300 Indian mothers, for whom a complete retrospective record of fertility and child mortality is available. Information on sterilization is used to identify an equation for completion of family formation that is needed to account for right-censoring in the data. We find clear evidence of frailty, fecundity, and causal effects of birth spacing on mortality and vice versa, but find that birth interval effects can explain only a limited share of the correlation between neonatal mortality of successive children in a family. We also predict the impact of mortality on total fertility. Model simulations suggest that, for every neonatal death, an additional 0.37 children are born, of whom 0.3 survive.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2163.

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Length: 54 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2006
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2163

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Related research
Keywords: fertility; birth spacing; neonatal mortality; health; dynamic panel data models; siblings;

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

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References listed on IDEAS
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.:
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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. Walter Rasugu Omariba & Fernando Rajulton & Roderic Beaujot, 2008. "Correlated mortality risks of siblings in Kenya," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 18(11), pages 311-336, April. [Downloadable!]
  2. Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Valente, Christine & van Soest, Arthur, 2009. "The Puzzle of Muslim Advantage in Child Survival in India," IZA Discussion Papers 4009, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Sonia Bhalotra, 2007. "Fatal Fluctuations? - Cyclicality in Infant Mortality in India," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 07/181, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Sonia Bhalotra, 2007. "Spending to Save? State Health Expenditure and Infant Mortality in India," IZA Discussion Papers 2914, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Saha, U.R. & Soest, A.H.O. van, 2009. "Infant Mortality in Rural Bangladesh: State Dependence vs. Unobserved Heterogeneity," Discussion Paper 2009-26, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  6. Wiji Arulampalam & Sonia Bhalotra, 2006. "Persistence in Infant Mortality: Evidence for the Indian States," IZA Discussion Papers 2488, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  7. Sonia Bhalotra, 2008. "Sibling-Linked Data in the Demographic and Health Surveys," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 08/203, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK. [Downloadable!]
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