The Impacts of Temperature Shocks on Birth Weight in Vietnam

Le, Kien and Nguyen, My (2020): The Impacts of Temperature Shocks on Birth Weight in Vietnam.

Abstract

This paper investigates the extent to which in-utero exposure to temperature shocks affects birth weight outcomes in Vietnam. Exploiting the variations across districts and conception timing within districts, we show that a one standard deviation increase in temperature relative to the local norm (approximately 0.52 degree Celsius) during the first trimester of pregnancy reduces the child’s weight at birth by 67 grams or 2.2%. Our heterogeneity analysis suggests that infants living in rural areas, born to poor and low-educated mothers are especially vulnerable to temperature shocks.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Temperature, Birth Weight, Intergenerational Effects, Vietnam
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I15 - Health and Economic Development; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J13 - Fertility ; Family Planning ; Child Care ; Children ; Youth; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O15 - Human Resources ; Human Development ; Income Distribution ; Migration; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics > Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters and Their Management ; Global Warming

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