Nutritional deficiency and infants’ health outcomes
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Keywords

Birth weight
Fetal origin hypothesis
Nutrition
Ramadan
Health
Religion.

How to Cite

SHAHRI, H. (2021). Nutritional deficiency and infants’ health outcomes. Journal of Economic and Social Thought, 7(4), 225–233. https://doi.org/10.1453/jest.v7i4.2160

Abstract

Abstract. Previous studies show that prenatal shocks to embryos could have adverse impacts on health endowment at birth. Using the universe of birth data and a difference-in-difference-in-difference strategy, I find that exposure to Ramadan during prenatal development has negative birth outcomes. Exposure to a full month of fasting is associated with 96 grams lower birth-weight. These results are robust across specifications and do not appear to be driven by mothers’ selective fertility.

Keywords. Birth weight, Fetal origin hypothesis, Nutrition, Ramadan, Health, Religion.

JEL. I12, J13, Z12, D13.

https://doi.org/10.1453/jest.v7i4.2160
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