Working Paper: NBER ID: w18846
Authors: David N. Figlio; Jonathan Guryan; Krzysztof Karbownik; Jeffrey Roth
Abstract: We make use of a new data resource, merged birth and school records for all children born in Florida from 1992 to 2002, to study the effects of birth weight on cognitive development from kindergarten through schooling. Using twin fixed effects models, we find that the effects of birth weight on cognitive development are essentially constant through the school career; that these effects are very similar across a wide range of family backgrounds; and that they are invariant to measures of school quality. We conclude that the effects of poor neonatal health on adult outcomes are therefore set very early.
Keywords: Neonatal Health; Cognitive Development; Birth Weight; Twin Studies
JEL Codes: I14; I20; I24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Birth weight (I38) | Cognitive development (O11) |
| Higher birth weight (I19) | Better cognitive outcomes (D91) |
| Birth weight (I38) | Cognitive outcomes stability from kindergarten to eighth grade (I21) |
| Birth weight (I38) | Cognitive outcomes across demographic groups (I24) |
| School quality (I21) | Relationship between birth weight and cognitive outcomes (I15) |