Working Paper: NBER ID: w18876
Authors: Janet Currie; Joshua S. Graff Zivin; Katherine Meckel; Matthew J. Neidell; Wolfram Schlenker
Abstract: This paper provides estimates of the effects of in utero exposure to contaminated drinking water on fetal health. We examine the universe of birth records and drinking water testing results for the state of New Jersey from 1997 to 2007. Our data enable us to compare outcomes across siblings who were potentially exposed to differing levels of harmful contaminants from drinking water while in utero. We find small effects of drinking water contamination on all children, but large and statistically significant effects on birth weight and gestation of infants born to less educated mothers. We also show that those mothers who were most affected by contaminants were the least likely to move between births in response to contamination.
Keywords: drinking water; infant health; contamination; fetal health
JEL Codes: I12; Q51; Q53
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Drinking water contamination (Q25) | Low birth weight (J13) |
| Drinking water contamination (Q25) | Prematurity (J13) |
| Low birth weight (J13) | Increased incidence among less educated mothers (I24) |
| Drinking water contamination (Q25) | Increased low birth weight among less educated mothers (I24) |