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Birth Weight in the Long Run

Bharadwaj, Prashant ; Lundborg, Petter LU and Rooth, Dan-Olof LU (2018) In Journal of Human Resources 53(1). p.189-231
Abstract
We study the effect of birth weight on long-run outcomes using data on Swedish twins born between 1926 and 1958 linked to administrative records spanning entire life-time labor market histories. We find that birth weight positively affects permanent income and income across large parts of the lifecycle. The timing of the birth weight–income relationship is in line with the role of birth weight in determining takeup of sickness benefits and morbidity. The effect of birth weight on labor market outcomes even for cohorts born 30 years apart are similar; for short run health outcomes, birth weight plays a decreasing role over time.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Human Resources
volume
53
issue
1
pages
189 - 231
publisher
University of Wisconsin Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85040701103
ISSN
0022-166X
DOI
10.3368/jhr.53.1.0715-7235R
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
48324d82-948b-4736-aaee-a4f51e23e2da
date added to LUP
2016-09-29 11:03:01
date last changed
2022-04-16 19:40:16
@article{48324d82-948b-4736-aaee-a4f51e23e2da,
  abstract     = {{We study the effect of birth weight on long-run outcomes using data on Swedish twins born between 1926 and 1958 linked to administrative records spanning entire life-time labor market histories. We find that birth weight positively affects permanent income and income across large parts of the lifecycle. The timing of the birth weight–income relationship is in line with the role of birth weight in determining takeup of sickness benefits and morbidity. The effect of birth weight on labor market outcomes even for cohorts born 30 years apart are similar; for short run health outcomes, birth weight plays a decreasing role over time.}},
  author       = {{Bharadwaj, Prashant and Lundborg, Petter and Rooth, Dan-Olof}},
  issn         = {{0022-166X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{189--231}},
  publisher    = {{University of Wisconsin Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Human Resources}},
  title        = {{Birth Weight in the Long Run}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3368/jhr.53.1.0715-7235R}},
  doi          = {{10.3368/jhr.53.1.0715-7235R}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}