American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
Does Grief Transfer across Generations? Bereavements during Pregnancy and Child Outcomes
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 8,
no. 1, January 2016
(pp. 193–223)
Abstract
Using population data from Norway, we examine the effects of stress induced by the death of the mother's parent during pregnancy on both the short-run and the long-run outcomes of the infant. Using a variety of empirical strategies to address the issue of nonrandom exposure to death during a pregnancy, we find small negative effects on birth outcomes. However, we find no evidence of adverse effects on adult outcomes. This suggests that, though there may be measurable effects on birth outcomes, acute psychological stressors during pregnancy have limited adverse consequences for the child's success in education and the labor market. (JEL I12, J13, J16)Citation
Black, Sandra E., Paul J. Devereux, and Kjell G. Salvanes. 2016. "Does Grief Transfer across Generations? Bereavements during Pregnancy and Child Outcomes." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 8 (1): 193–223. DOI: 10.1257/app.20140262Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I12 Health Behavior
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination