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Neonatal Health Of Parents And Cognitive Development Of Children

Author

Listed:
  • Claus Thustrup Kreiner

    (Department of Economics, CEBI and CEPR, University of Copenhagen)

  • Hans Henrik Sivertsen

    (University of Bristol and VIVE)

Abstract

This paper documents a strong relationship between birth endowments of parents and the cognitive development of their children. The association between maternal birth weight and child school test scores corresponds to 80 percent of the association between the child�s own birth weight and test scores (both in univariate and multivariate settings). We find a strong relationship, even when controlling for family differences, by looking at birth weight variation between sisters and the test score outcomes of their children, and when controlling for parental education and economic resources. Child test scores are also strongly related to paternal birth weight. To assess external validity, we replicate recent results from the US on the relationship between child birth weight and test scores. Our intergenerational results suggest that inequality in birth endowments may be important for inequality in key outcomes of the next generation.

Suggested Citation

  • Claus Thustrup Kreiner & Hans Henrik Sivertsen, 2018. "Neonatal Health Of Parents And Cognitive Development Of Children," CEBI working paper series 18-02, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    • Handle: RePEc:kud:kucebi:1802
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    File URL: https://www.econ.ku.dk/cebi/publikationer/working-papers/cebi-working-papers/CEBI_WP_02-18.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. M. Perez-Alvarez & M. Favara, 2023. "Children having children: early motherhood and offspring human capital in India," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 1573-1606, July.
    3. Baker, Jennifer L. & Bjerregaard, Lise G. & Dahl, Christian M. & Johansen, Torben S. D. & Sørensen, Emil N. & Wüst, Miriam, 2023. "Universal Investments in Toddler Health. Learning from a Large Government Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 16270, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Damian Clarke & Nicolas Lillo Bustos & Kathya Tapia-Schythe, 2022. "Estimating Inter-generational Returns to Medical Care: New Evidence from At-Risk Newborns," Working Papers wp537, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    5. Carsten Andersen, 2019. "Intergenerational Health Mobility: Evidence from Danish Registers," Economics Working Papers 2019-04, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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