The effects of incentivizing early prenatal care on infant health

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Health Economics
Year: 2022
Volume: 83
Issue: C

Authors (2)

Cygan-Rehm, Kamila (not in RePEc) Karbownik, Krzysztof (Emory University)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We investigate the effects of incentivizing early prenatal care utilization on infant health by exploiting a reform that required expectant mothers to initiate prenatal care during the first ten weeks of gestation to obtain a one-time monetary transfer paid after childbirth. Applying a difference-in-differences design to individual-level data on the population of births and fetal deaths, we identify modest but statistically significant positive effects of the policy on neonatal health. We further provide suggestive evidence that improved maternal health-related knowledge and behaviors during pregnancy are plausible channels through which the reform might have affected fetal health.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jhecon:v:83:y:2022:i:c:s0167629622000327
Journal Field
Health
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25