Working Paper: NBER ID: w25828
Authors: Todd Elder; David N. Figlio; Scott A. Imberman; Claudia Persico
Abstract: We use linked birth and education records for all children born in Florida between 1992 and 2002 to assess the effects of neonatal health on the identification of childhood disabilities. We find that several measures of neonatal health are associated with disability incidence, although birthweight plays the most empirically relevant role. Using large samples of siblings and twins, we find that infant health influences multiple measures of disability and grade repetition in school. The association between birthweight and disability holds throughout the distribution of birthweight and across a range of socioeconomic characteristics, including maternal education and race.
Keywords: neonatal health; childhood disability; birthweight; socioeconomic status; special education
JEL Codes: I10; I21
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| birthweight (J13) | childhood disability incidence (I12) |
| congenital anomalies (J13) | childhood disability incidence (I12) |
| neonatal health (I14) | childhood disability incidence (I12) |