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Spillover Effects of Early-Life Medical Interventions

Author

Listed:
  • N. Meltem Daysal

    (University of Copenhagen, CEBI, and IZA)

  • Marianne Simonsen

    (Aarhus University and IZA)

  • Mircea Trandafir

    (University of Southern Denmark and IZA)

  • Sanni Breining

    (Ramboll Management Consulting)

Abstract

We investigate the effects of early-life medical treatments on the treated children and their families. We use a regression discontinuity design that exploits changes in medical treatments across the very low birth weight (VLBW) cutoff. Using administrative data from Denmark, we establish that VLBW children have better health and higher test scores. We find that these benefits spill over to other family members: mothers enjoy better mental health, and siblings have higher test scores. Maternal mental health improvements seem to be driven by better focal child health and sibling spillovers by improved interactions within the family and parental compensating behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • N. Meltem Daysal & Marianne Simonsen & Mircea Trandafir & Sanni Breining, 2022. "Spillover Effects of Early-Life Medical Interventions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(1), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:104:y:2022:i:1:p:1-16
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00982
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    Cited by:

    1. John Cawley & Euna Han & Jiyoon Kim & Edward C. Norton, 2019. "Testing for family influences on obesity: The role of genetic nurture," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 937-952, July.
    2. Persson, Petra & Qiu, Xinyao & Rossin-Slater, Maya, 2021. "Family Spillover Effects of Marginal Diagnoses: The Case of ADHD," IZA Discussion Papers 14020, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Cheti Nicoletti & Birgitta Rabe, 2019. "Sibling spillover effects in school achievement," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 482-501, June.
    4. Douglas Almond & Janet Currie & Valentina Duque, 2018. "Childhood Circumstances and Adult Outcomes: Act II," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(4), pages 1360-1446, December.
    5. Sandra E Black & Sanni Breining & David N Figlio & Jonathan Guryan & Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Jeffrey Roth & Marianne Simonsen, 2021. "Sibling Spillovers [Endowments at birth and parents’ investment in children]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 101-128.
      • Sandra E. Black & Sanni Breining & David N. Figlio & Jonathan Guryan & Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Jeffrey Roth & Marianne Simonsen & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2017. "Sibling Spillovers," CESifo Working Paper Series 6348, CESifo.
      • Sandra E. Black & Sanni Breining & David N. Figlio & Jonathan Guryan & Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Jeffrey Roth & Marianne Simonsen, 2017. "Sibling Spillovers," NBER Working Papers 23062, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Gordon B. Dahl & Dan-Olof Rooth & Anders Stenberg, 2020. "Intergenerational and Sibling Spillovers in High School Majors," NBER Working Papers 27618, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Reif, Simon & Wichert, Sebastian & Wuppermann, Amelie, 2018. "Is it good to be too light? Birth weight thresholds in hospital reimbursement systems," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 1-25.
    8. Berthelon, Matias & Kruger, Diana & Sanchez, Rafael, 2021. "Maternal stress during pregnancy and early childhood development," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    9. David B. Audretsch, 2015. "Knowledge spillovers and future jobs," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 218-218, December.
    10. N. Meltem Daysal & Jonas Cuzulan Hirani, 2021. "Early-life medical care and human capital accumulation," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 217-217, September.
    11. Daysal, N. Meltem & Trandafir, Mircea & van Ewijk, Reyn, 2016. "Heterogeneous Effects of Medical Interventions on the Health of Low-Risk Newborns," IZA Discussion Papers 9810, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Joensen, Juanna Schrøter & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2018. "Spillovers in education choice," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 158-183.
    13. Nadine Geiger & Sebastian Wichert, 2019. "Birth in times of war - An investigation of health, mortality and social class using historical clinical records," CESifo Working Paper Series 7593, CESifo.
    14. Daysal, N. Meltem & Trandafir, Mircea & van Ewijk, Reyn, 2019. "Low-risk isn’t no-risk: Perinatal treatments and the health of low-income newborns," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 55-67.
    15. Brilli, Ylenia & Restrepo, Brandon J., 2020. "Birth weight, neonatal care, and infant mortality: Evidence from macrosomic babies," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    16. Sievertsen, Hans Henrik & Wüst, Miriam, 2017. "Discharge on the day of birth, parental response and health and schooling outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 121-138.
    17. Cabrera-Hernandez, Francisco & Orraca-Romano, Pedro, 2021. "Inequality in the household: neonatal health effects on education outcomes and parents’ compensations among siblings," MPRA Paper 111076, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Krzysztof Karbownik & Umut Özek, 2019. "Setting a good example? Examining sibling spillovers in education achievement using a regression discontinuity design," CESifo Working Paper Series 7531, CESifo.
    19. Lovén, Ida, 2017. "Labor market consequences of growing up with a sibling with type 1-diabetes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 1-10.
    20. Schnepel, Kevin T. & Schurer, Stefanie, 2017. "Early Life Health Interventions and Childhood Development: Evidence from Special Care Nursery Assignment in Australia’s Northern Territory," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168240, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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