Armed conflict and birth weight: Evidence from the al-Aqsa Intifada

No previous study has estimated the effect of intrauterine exposure to armed conflict on pregnancy outcomes. Drawing on data from the 2004 Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey, which was conducted approximately 4 years after the start of the al-Aqsa Intifada, we find that an additional conflict-related fatality 9-6 months before birth is associated with a modest increase in the probability of having a child who weighed less than 2500 g. There is also evidence, albeit less consistent, of a positive relationship between fatalities in late pregnancy and low birth weight.