The Long-Run Effects of Cesarean Sections
: Ana María Costa-Ramón, Mika Kortelainen, Ana Rodríguez-González, Lauri Sääksvuori
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
: Madison, Wiaconsin
: 2022
: Journal of Human Resources
: 57
: 2048
: 2085
: 1548-8004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.58.2.0719-10334R1(external)
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/48744182(external)
This paper analyzes the long-term effects of potentially avoidable C-sections on children's health. Using Finnish administrative data, we document that physicians perform more unplanned C-sections during their regular working hours on days that precede a weekend or public holiday and use this exogenous variation as an instrument for C-sections. We supplement our instrumental variables results with a differences-in-differences estimation that exploits variation in birth mode within sibling pairs and across families. Our results suggest that avoidable unplanned C-sections increase the risk of asthma, but do not affect other immune-mediated disorders previously associated with C-sections.