Spillover Effects of Early-Life Medical Interventions

Arbeitspapier

We investigate the spillover effects of early-life medical treatments on the siblings of treated children. We use a regression discontinuity design that exploits changes in medical treatments across the very low birth weight (VLBW) cutoff. Using administrative data from Denmark, we first confirm the findings in the previous literature that children who are slightly below the VLBW cutoff have better short- and long-term health, and higher math test scores in 9th grade. We next investigate spillover effects on siblings and find no evidence of an impact on their health outcomes. However, we find substantial positive spillovers on all our measures of academic achievement. Our estimates suggest that siblings of focal children who were slightly below the VLBW cutoff have higher 9th grade language and math test scores, as well as higher probability of enrolling in a high school by age 19. Our results suggest that improved interactions within the family may be an important pathway behind the observed spillover effects.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 9086

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Analysis of Health Care Markets ; Health Behavior ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health ; Analysis of Education ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
• Subject: medical care ; birth ; children ; schooling ; spillovers

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Breining, Sanni ; Daysal, N. Meltem ; Simonsen, Marianne ; Trandafir, Mircea
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2015

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/111539
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET