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The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amnocentesis decision

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  • Thibault Gajdos

    (LPC - Laboratoire de psychologie cognitive - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - X - École polytechnique - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, THEMA - Théorie économique, modélisation et applications - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CY - CY Cergy Paris Université)

  • Clémentine Garrouste

    (Legos - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion des Organisations de Santé - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Pierre-Yves Geoffard

    (CEPR - Center for Economic Policy Research - CEPR, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

Using a simple theoretical decision model and an original database, we were able to elicit thedistribution of the utility value of having a child with Down syndrome for a large sample of Frenchpregnant women (n = 28, 341) between 2003 and 2007. We found that, on a scale where the value ofa fetal death is 0 and the value of a healthy child is 1, the mean value for a child with Down syndromeis about −0.6. Assuming that the policymaker used the same decision model as the women, we inferfrom the French amniocentesis reimbursement regulation an implicit social value for a child withDown syndrome of −2.5. We conclude from our study that the policymaker is more likely to preventthe birth of children with Down syndrome than French women themselves.

Suggested Citation

  • Thibault Gajdos & Clémentine Garrouste & Pierre-Yves Geoffard, 2021. "The subjective value of a life with Down syndrome: Evidence from amnocentesis decision," PSE Working Papers hal-03352871, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:psewpa:hal-03352871
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03352871
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eduardo Fajnzylber & Seth Sanders & V. Joseph Hotz, 2010. "An Economic Model of Amniocentesis Choice," Working Papers 10-66, Duke University, Department of Economics.
    2. Edi Karni & Moshe Leshno & Sivan Rapaport, 2014. "Helping patients and physicians reach individualized medical decisions: theory and application to prenatal diagnostic testing," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 76(4), pages 451-467, April.
    3. Clémentine Garrouste & Jérôme Le & Eric Maurin, 2011. "The choice of detecting Down syndrome: does money matter?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(9), pages 1073-1089, September.
    4. Karine Lamiraud & Pierre‐Yves Geoffard, 2007. "Therapeutic non‐adherence: a rational behavior revealing patient preferences?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(11), pages 1185-1204, November.
    5. Browner, C.H. & Preloran, H.M. & Cox, S.J., 1999. "Ethnicity, bioethics, and prenatal diagnosis: The amniocentesis decisions of Mexican-origin women and their partners," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(11), pages 1658-1666.
    6. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12124 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Valerie Seror, 2008. "Fitting observed and theoretical choices – women's choices about prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(5), pages 557-577, May.
    8. Karine Lamiraud & Pierre-Yves Geoffard, 2007. "Therapeutic non-adherence: a rational behavior revealing patient preferences?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(11), pages 1185-1204.
    9. Edi Karni, 2009. "A theory of medical decision making under uncertainty," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 1-16, August.
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    1. Di Giacomo, Marina & Piacenza, Massimiliano & Siciliani, Luigi & Turati, Gilberto, 2022. "The effect of co-payments on the take-up of prenatal tests," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

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