Mergers and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from Maternity Ward Closures

Arbeitspapier

Evidence suggests that hospital mergers can reduce costs but less is known about their effects on patient outcomes. We study how a wave of mergers that led to the shutdown of one third of all Swedish maternity wards affected the health of mothers who gave birth and their newborns. Applying a difference-in-differences approach to register data on all births in Sweden over two decades, we show that the closures negatively affected the health of mothers, while effects on infant health were small and insignificant. The adverse effects on mothers are mainly driven by crowding effects at remaining wards rather than by increased distance to the wards. Moreover, the closures reduced the use of C-sections for high-risk births.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 11772

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity ; Analysis of Health Care Markets ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth ; Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
• Subject: quality of care ; hospital closure ; birth outcomes

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Avdic, Daniel ; Lundborg, Petter ; Vikström, Johan
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2018

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/185232
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET