TY  - JOUR
AU  - Cesur,Resul
AU  - Rashad,Inas
TI  - High Birth Weight and Cognitive Outcomes
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 14524
PY  - 2008
Y2  - December 2008
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14524
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14524.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Resul Cesur
Department of Economics
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3992
Atlanta, GA 30302-3992
E-Mail: prcrcx@langate.gsu.edu

Inas Rashad Kelly
Queens College, CUNY
Economics Department
300 Powdermaker Hall
65-30 Kissena Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11367
Tel: (718) 997-5440
E-Mail: Inas.Kelly@qc.cuny.edu
AB  - While the effects of low birth weight have long been explored, those of high birth weight have been essentially ignored.  Economists have analyzed the negative effects that low birth weight might have on subsequent school outcomes, while taking into account unobserved characteristics that may be common to families with low birth weight babies and negative outcomes in terms of school test scores when children, in addition to labor market income when adults.  Today, however, with increasing obesity rates in the United States, high birth weight has become a potential concern, and has been associated in the medical literature with an increased likelihood of becoming an overweight child, adolescent, and subsequently an obese adult.  Overweight and obesity, in turn, are associated with a host of negative effects, including lower test scores in school and lower labor market prospects when adults.  If studies only focus on low birth weight, they may underestimate the effects of ensuring that mothers receive adequate support during pregnancy.  In this study we find that cognitive outcomes are adversely affected not only by low birth weight (<2500 grams) but also by high birth weight (>4500 grams).  Our results have policy implications in terms of provision of support for pregnant women.
ER  -