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Cesarean Section, Childhood Health, and Schooling: Quasi‐Experimental Evidence From Denmark, Norway and Sweden

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  • Jessica á Rogvi
  • Aline Bütikofer
  • Lone Krebs
  • Hanna Mühlrad
  • Miriam Wüst

Abstract

Despite being one of the most common surgical procedures in industrialized countries, there is limited causal evidence on the long‐term consequences of Cesarean section (CS). We study the impacts of CS on health during ages 1–12 years and human capital outcomes at age 16 years, using exogenous variation in the probability of receiving a CS for breech births at term—a group with high CS risk. We use administrative data from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden to show that preventing complicated vaginal births benefits health at birth and reduces the number of all‐cause hospital nights during childhood. Our findings for childhood diagnoses for asthma, allergies, diabetes mellitus type 1, and school outcomes are imprecise and do thus not lend strong support for prominent hypotheses on CS causing long‐term immune dysfunction disorders and, thereby, worse human capital outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jessica á Rogvi & Aline Bütikofer & Lone Krebs & Hanna Mühlrad & Miriam Wüst, 2025. "Cesarean Section, Childhood Health, and Schooling: Quasi‐Experimental Evidence From Denmark, Norway and Sweden," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 431-441, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:34:y:2025:i:3:p:431-441
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4914
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gabriel Facchini, 2022. "Forgetting‐by‐not‐doing: The case of surgeons and cesarean sections," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 481-495, March.
    2. Facchini, Gabriel, 2022. "Low staffing in the maternity ward: Keep calm and call the surgeon," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 370-394.
    3. Halla, Martin & Mayr, Harald & Pruckner, Gerald J. & García-Gómez, Pilar, 2020. "Cutting fertility? Effects of cesarean deliveries on subsequent fertility and maternal labor supply," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    4. Jensen, Vibeke Myrup & Wüst, Miriam, 2015. "Can Caesarean section improve child and maternal health? The case of breech babies," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 289-302.
    5. Victor Hugo de Oliveira & Ines Lee & Climent Quintana‐Domeque, 2022. "The effect of increasing Women's autonomy on primary and repeated caesarean sections in Brazil," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(8), pages 1800-1804, August.
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