Violence and birth outcomes: Evidence from homicides in Brazil

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Koppensteiner, Martin Foureaux; Manacorda, Marco
• 署名单位: University of Leicester; University of London; Queen Mary University London; University of London; London School Economics & Political Science; IZA Institute Labor Economics
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2015.11.003
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 16-33
• 关键词: Birth outcomes; Birthweight; Homicides; stress; BRAZIL

摘要

This paper uses microdata from Brazilian vital statistics on births and deaths between 2000 and 2010 to estimate the impact of in-utero exposure to local violence - measured by homicide rates - on birth outcomes. The estimates show that exposure to violence during the first trimester of pregnancy leads to a small but precisely estimated increase in the risk of low birthweight and prematurity. Effects are found both in small municipalities, where homicides are rare, and in large municipalities, where violence is endemic, and are particularly pronounced among children of poorly educated mothers, implying that violence compounds the disadvantage that these children already suffer as a result of their households' lower socioeconomic status. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved,