Life expectancy and mother-baby interventions: Evidence from a historical trial

Arbeitspapier

This paper investigates the potential of an infant intervention to improve life expectancy, contributing to emerging interest in the early life origins of chronic disease. We analyse a pioneering program trialled in Sweden in the 1930s, which provided information, support and monitoring of infant care. Using birth certificate data from parish records matched to death registers, we estimate that the average duration of program exposure in infancy led to a 1.54% point decline in the risk of infant death (23% of baseline risk) and a 2.37% decline in the risk of dying by age 75 (6.5% of baseline risk).

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IFN Working Paper ; No. 1124

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health and Economic Development ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health ; Public Goods
• Subject: Maternal care ; Infant care ; Early life interventions ; Barker Hypothesis ; Program evaluation ; Sweden

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Bhalotra, Sonia ; Karlsson, Martin ; Nilsson, Therese
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)
• (where): Stockholm
• (when): 2016

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/175061
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET