Maternal age as a crucial factor between low birth weight and crime: Evidence from Taiwan’s National Data – A research note

Using national data of the male population (a total of 715,000 observations) in Taiwan, this study finds a significant association between LBW and the probability of committing crime appears exclusively among those born to mothers under 18 or over 40 at the time of childbearing. Moreover, this association occurs particularly in violent crime. The interaction between biological and demographic factors suggests that being born to very old or young mothers and LBW together may create a double hazard of biological disadvantage, leading to higher risk of committing violent crime later. The other side of the coin is that, regarding to violent crime, being born low birth weight may not be a disadvantage unless it is triggered by certain adversity.