Intergenerational Transmission of Maternal Health: Evidence from Cebu, the Philippines

Abstract

We examine the intergenerational transmission of mother-to-child health, using unique data tracking a cohort of Filipino children. We provide causal estimates of the impact of maternal health on child health, and examine the persistence of this relationship from birth through adolescence. We find that mother’s health continues to impact child health throughout childhood. Previous estimates gauging transmission at any single point during childhood therefore underestimate the full impact. The effect of mother’s health on child height-for-age z-score is only partly explained by birthweight, socioeconomic mechanisms or parental inputs; maternal health may additionally shape childhood growth trajectories until puberty.