Working Paper: NBER ID: w23810
Authors: Chloe N East; Sarah Miller; Marianne Page; Laura R Wherry
Abstract: We examine multi-generational impacts of positive in utero health interventions using a new research design that exploits sharp increases in prenatal Medicaid eligibility that occurred in some states. Our analyses are based on U.S. Vital Statistics Natality files, which enables linkages between individuals' early life Medicaid exposure and the next generation's health at birth. We find evidence that the health benefits associated with treated generations' early life program exposure extend to later offspring. Our results suggest that the returns on early life health investments may be substantively underestimated.
Keywords: Medicaid; health outcomes; multigenerational effects; public health interventions
JEL Codes: I1; I13; I14; I18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Medicaid eligibility during pregnancy (I18) | improved health outcomes of infants (I14) |
| Medicaid eligibility during pregnancy (I18) | higher birth weights (J13) |
| Medicaid eligibility during pregnancy (I18) | lower incidences of low birth weight (J89) |
| improved maternal health outcomes (I14) | higher birth weights (J13) |
| improved maternal health outcomes (I14) | lower incidences of low birth weight (J89) |
| first generation's in utero exposure to Medicaid (I18) | second generation's birth weight (J13) |
| first generation's in utero exposure to Medicaid (I18) | incidence of very low birth weight decreases (J19) |
| first generation's in utero exposure to Medicaid (I18) | incidence of small for gestational age decreases (J13) |