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Seoul Journal of Economics - Vol. 36 , No. 3
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Seoul Journal of Economics - Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 247-268
Abbreviation: SJE
ISSN: 1225-0279 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Aug 2023
Received 04 Aug 2023 Revised 13 Aug 2023 Accepted 14 Aug 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22904/sje.2023.36.3.001

Effect of Changing Business Condition on Prenatal Health
Chulhee Lee
Chulhee Lee, Professor, Department of Economics, Seoul National University, South Korea (chullee@snu.ac.kr)

Funding Information ▼

JEL Classification: I12; J64

Abstract

Previous studies from developed countries suggest that babies conceived during recessions have better birth outcomes. However, the issue of whether the relationship between business condition and infant health differs across countries remains less clear. This paper investigates how the macroeconomic conditions to which mothers are exposed during pregnancy affect the birth outcomes of children. The analyses are based on the universe of birth registration records from 1993 to 2009 that are linked to the unemployment statistics by province and month of birth. Results indicate that prenatal exposure to higher unemployment significantly reduces birth weights and increases the risk of low birth weight. A recession has a stronger negative effect on fetal health during the first and second trimesters than in the final stage of pregnancy. The negative effects of prenatal exposure to higher unemployment rates on birth weight are observed only for the children of non-working mothers. Higher unemployment rates during pregnancy had considerably stronger negative effects on birth outcomes during the period before the financial crises of 1998 and 1999 than in the post-crisis period.

Keywords: Business cycle, Unemployment, Infant health, Birth weight
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank an anonymous referee for helpful comments. This study was supported by Center for Health & Finance, SNU Institute for Research in Finance and Economics (0666A-20200006).

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