Research Paper IZA Discussion Papers 8969

Infant health and longevity: evidence from a historical trial in Sweden

Authors

Publication date

Apr 2015

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential of an infant intervention to improve life expectancy, contributing to emerging interest in the early life origins of chronic disease. We analyse a pioneering program trialled in Sweden in the 1930s, which provided information, support and monitoring of infant care. Using birth certficate data from parish records matched to death registers, we estimate that the average duration of program exposure in infancy led to a 1.54% point decline in the risk of infant death (23% of baseline risk) and a 2.37% decline in the risk of dying by age 75 (6.5% of baseline risk).

Subjects

Child Development, Health, and Life Course Analysis

Links

http://legacy.iza.org/en/webcontent/publications/papers/viewAbstract?dp_id=8969

Related publications

1. Infant health and longevity: evidence from a historical trial in Sweden

   Sonia Bhalotra, Martin Karlsson, and Therese Nilsson

   ISER Working Paper Series, 2015-08 - 29 Apr 2015 - download  
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   2. Health
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2. Infant health and longevity: evidence from a historical intervention in Sweden

   Sonia Bhalotra, Martin Karlsson, and Therese Nilsson

   Journal Article, Journal of the European Economic Association - 2016
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