The motherhood penalty on health: Evidence from China

Understanding women’s physical and mental well-being following childbirth is critical for informing policies on labor market equity, family support, and fertility. Using event study methods and panel data from China, we document a persistent motherhood penalty in both physical and mental health, whereas the health impacts on fathers are minimal. While mothers experience a temporary reduction in paid work hours, they face a sustained increase in unpaid domestic labor — housework and childcare — resulting in a net increase in total work time. This additional workload likely contributes to deterioration in health. Mothers are also more likely to engage in multitasking, which is associated with elevated stress and burden, and they experience a greater increase in insufficient sleep (fewer than 7 hour per night) during the first postpartum year. Finally, we find that grandparental support can help mitigate the adverse health effects associated with motherhood.