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In Utero Shocks and Health at Birth: The Distorting Effect of Fetal Losses

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  • Tamás Hajdu

Abstract

Research on the effect of in utero shocks on health at birth may be influenced by in utero selection. This study outlines a conceptual framework and shows that the results of the standard empirical approach are biased if (i) the exposure changes the probability of fetal death and (ii) health differences exist between deceased and surviving fetuses. Furthermore, an empirical example is provided to illustrate the potential importance of fetal selection. Examining the effect of heat on birth weight, I find that accounting for fetal selection substantially increases the heat effect compared to the standard approach. These results suggest that, in some cases, incorporating the distorting effect of fetal losses into the estimations may be critical to providing more informed guidance for public policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Tamás Hajdu, 2025. "In Utero Shocks and Health at Birth: The Distorting Effect of Fetal Losses," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 87(3), pages 586-612, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:obuest:v:87:y:2025:i:3:p:586-612
    DOI: 10.1111/obes.12649
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    Cited by:

    1. Hajdu, Tamás, 2025. "Heterogeneous impacts of climate change on morbidity," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    2. Marco Cozzani & Peter Fallesen & Juho Härkönen, 2025. "Temporal Changes in the Quantity of Conceptions Influence Preterm Births Rates at the Population Level," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2025_08, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".

    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
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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