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Children of the Revolution: Fetal and Child Health amidst Violent Civil Conflict

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  • Christine Valente

    (Department of Economics, The University of Sheffield)

Abstract

This paper considers the impact of exposure to civil conflict on health inputs and outcomes from conception to age five, using the recent Maoist insurgency in Nepal as a case study. Conflict intensity is measured by the number of conflict deaths by district and month and merged with pregnancy histories from the 2001 and 2006 Demographic and Health Surveys. Within-mother estimates show that civil conflict increases the likelihood of miscarriage, so that exposure to conflict in utero has not only a scarring effect but also a selection effect on survivors, most likely due to a combination of maternal stress and malnutrition.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Valente, 2011. "Children of the Revolution: Fetal and Child Health amidst Violent Civil Conflict," Working Papers 2011018, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:shf:wpaper:2011018
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Martin-Shields, Charles P. & Stojetz, Wolfgang, 2019. "Food security and conflict: Empirical challenges and future opportunities for research and policy making on food security and conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 150-164.
    2. Duque, Valentina, 2019. "Violence and Children’s Education: Evidence from Administrative Data," Working Papers 2019-16, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    3. Bejenariu, Simona & Mitrut, Andreea, 2012. "Austerity Measures and Infant Health. Lessons from an Unexpected Wage Cut Policy," Working Paper Series 2012:4, Uppsala University, Department of Economics, revised 10 Oct 2013.
    4. Valente, Christine, 2014. "Access to abortion, investments in neonatal health, and sex-selection: Evidence from Nepal," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 225-243.
    5. Cotet-Grecu, Anca M., 2016. "On the estimation of the effect of stressors on birth outcomes," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 148-152.
    6. Muhammad Nasir, 2018. "Prenatal Exposure to Shocks and Early-Life Health: Impact of Terrorism and Flood on Birth Outcomes in Pakistan," Working Papers id:12580, eSocialSciences.
    7. Chloe N. East & Sarah Miller & Marianne Page & Laura R. Wherry, 2023. "Multigenerational Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net: Early Life Exposure to Medicaid and the Next Generation's Health," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(1), pages 98-135, January.
    8. Bageant, Elizabeth & Liu, Yanyan & Diao, Xinshen, 2016. "Agriculture-nutrition linkages and child health in the presence of conflict in Nepal:," IFPRI discussion papers 1515, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Muhammad Nasir, 2016. "Violence and Child Health Outcomes: Evidence from Mexican Drug War," HiCN Working Papers 208, Households in Conflict Network.
    10. Richter, André & Robling, Per Olof, 2013. "Multigenerational e ffects of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic in Sweden," Working Paper Series 5/2013, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    11. Nina Wald, 2014. "The Impact of Displacement on Child Health: Evidence from Colombia's DHS 2010," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1420, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    12. Patricia Justino, 2012. "Nutrition, Governance and Violence: A Framework for the Analysis of Resilience and Vulnerability to Food Insecurity in Contexts of Violent Conflict," HiCN Working Papers 132, Households in Conflict Network.
    13. Patricia Justino, 2017. "Food Security, Peacebuilding and Gender Equality: Conceptual Framework and Future Directions," HiCN Working Papers 257, Households in Conflict Network.
    14. Keenan Marchesi & Marc Rockmore, 2023. "Conflict and nutrition: endogenous dietary responses in Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 281-296, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    civil conflict; child health; fetal loss; Nepal;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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