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Healthier Starts: The intergenerational Effects of Maternal General Skills

Author

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  • Cristina Borra
  • Pilar Cuevas-Ruiz
  • Almudena Sevilla

Abstract

We examine the long-term e!ects of maternal general education on infant health, leveraging a nationwide secondary school reform in Spain that expanded academic instruction without increasing years of schooling. Using newly digitized enrollment data linked to administrative birth records, we find that the reform significantly reduced very preterm birth and overall prematurity, with gains concentrated at the lower tail of the gestational age distribution. Mechanism evidence from high-quality adult survey data is consistent with reform-induced improvements in women’s information-processing skills, reductions in risky prenatal behaviors, higher labor force participation, and more e!ective family planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Borra & Pilar Cuevas-Ruiz & Almudena Sevilla, 2026. "Healthier Starts: The intergenerational Effects of Maternal General Skills," Working Papers 2026-10, FEDEA.
    • Handle: RePEc:fda:fdaddt:2026-10
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