The Long-Term Effects of Hospital Deliveries

82 Pages Posted: 24 Jul 2021

See all articles by Martin Fischer

Martin Fischer

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN); Karolinska Institutet - Aging Research Centre

Martin Karlsson

University of Duisburg-Essen - CINCH

Nikolaos Prodromidis

University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract

This paper analyzes the long-term effects on mortality and socio-economic outcomes from institutional delivery. We exploit two Swedish interventions that affected the costs of hospital deliveries and the supply of maternity wards during the 1926–46 period. Using exogenous variation in the supply of maternity wards to instrument the likelihood of institutional delivery, we find that delivery in hospital has substantial effects on later-life outcomes such as education and mortality. We argue that a decrease in child morbidity due to better treatment of complications is a likely mechanism. This interpretation is corroborated by evidence from primary school performance, showing a large reduction in the probability of low performance. In contrast to an immediate and large take-up in hospital deliveries as response to an increase in the supply, we find no increase in hospital births from the abolishment of fees – but some degree of displacement of high-SES parents.

JEL Classification: I18, I13, N34

Suggested Citation

Fischer, Martin and Karlsson, Martin and Prodromidis, Nikolaos, The Long-Term Effects of Hospital Deliveries. IZA Discussion Paper No. 14562, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3892590 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3892590

Martin Fischer (Contact Author)

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) ( email )

Box 55665
Grevgatan 34, 2nd floor
Stockholm, SE-102 15
Sweden

Karolinska Institutet - Aging Research Centre ( email )

Tomtebodavägen 18A, plan 9
Solna, 171 65
Sweden

Martin Karlsson

University of Duisburg-Essen - CINCH ( email )

Universitätsstraße 2
Essen, 45141
Germany

Nikolaos Prodromidis

University of Duisburg-Essen

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