From infant to mother: Early disease environment and future maternal health

This paper investigates the connections between a woman's early life disease environment and her future health, socioeconomic status, and the health of her children. We exploit U.S. birth records, which can be linked to the post-neonatal mortality rates in the mother's state of birth and provide information on the outcomes of the mother and her infant. We find that exposure to disease in early childhood significantly increases the incidence of diabetes and is associated with worse socioeconomic status and maternal behaviors. We also find evidence of intergenerational transmission of maternal health shocks: among whites, higher exposure increases the probability of low birth weight infants. However, among blacks, higher maternal exposure reduces the incidence of low birth weight, possibly reflecting selection effects.

► This paper links health in early life to later outcomes in cohorts of U.S. women.
► We use birth records with measures of maternal health, education, and behaviors.
► Early disease exposure is linked to poorer outcomes, including higher diabetes risk.