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Communication Barriers and Infant Health: The Intergenerational Effect of Randomly Allocating Refugees across Language Regions

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  • Daniel Auer
  • Johannes S. Kunz

Abstract

This paper investigates the intergenerational effect of communication barriers on child health at birth. We study refugees in Switzerland who come from French- or Italian-speaking countries and who, upon arrival, are randomly allocated to different cantons in which either German, French, or Italian is the dominant language. Children born to mothers who were exogenously allocated to a region whose dominant language matches their origin language are, on average, 72 grams (or 2.2 percent) heavier. Further analyses suggest that this effect is likely driven by information about health-related behavior and services. Coethnic networks, however, can partly compensate for communication barriers.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Auer & Johannes S. Kunz, 2025. "Communication Barriers and Infant Health: The Intergenerational Effect of Randomly Allocating Refugees across Language Regions," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 71-106, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:17:y:2025:i:3:p:71-106
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20230220
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Johannes S. Kunz & Kevin E. Staub & Rainer Winkelmann, 2021. "Predicting individual effects in fixed effects panel probit models," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 184(3), pages 1109-1145, July.
    2. Michaela Slotwinski & Alois Stutzer & Roman Uhlig, 2019. "Are asylum seekers more likely to work with more inclusive labor market access regulations?," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 155(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. David S. Lee, 2009. "Training, Wages, and Sample Selection: Estimating Sharp Bounds on Treatment Effects," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 76(3), pages 1071-1102.
    4. Clément de Chaisemartin & Xavier D'Haultfœuille, 2020. "Two-Way Fixed Effects Estimators with Heterogeneous Treatment Effects," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(9), pages 2964-2996, September.
    5. Alice Chen & Emily Oster & Heidi Williams, 2016. "Why Is Infant Mortality Higher in the United States Than in Europe?," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(2), pages 89-124, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chaudhary, Latika & Dupraz, Yannick & Fenske, James, 2025. "A Century of Language Barriers to Migration in India," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1580, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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