RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Birth Weight in the Long Run
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 189
OP 231
DO 10.3368/jhr.53.1.0715-7235R
VO 53
IS 1
A1 Bharadwaj, Prashant
A1 Lundborg, Petter
A1 Rooth, Dan-Olof
YR 2018
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/53/1/189.abstract
AB We study the effect of birth weight on long-run outcomes using data on Swedish twins born between 1926 and 1958 linked to administrative records spanning entire life-time labor market histories. We find that birth weight positively affects permanent income and income across large parts of the lifecycle. The timing of the birth weight–income relationship is in line with the role of birth weight in determining takeup of sickness benefits and morbidity. The effect of birth weight on labor market outcomes even for cohorts born 30 years apart are similar; for short run health outcomes, birth weight plays a decreasing role over time.