Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits

Reducing the incidence of low birth weight not only lowers infant mortality rates but also has multiple benefits over the life cycle. This study estimates the economic benefits of reducing the incidence of low birth weight in low-income countries,...

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Main Authors: Alderman, Harold, Behrman, Jere R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
en_US
Published: Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank 2013
Subjects:
HIV
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/01/17590622/reducing-incidence-low-birth-weight-low-income-countries-substantial-economic-benefits
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16397
id okr-10986-16397
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-163972021-04-23T14:03:30Z Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits Alderman, Harold Behrman, Jere R. ADULT HEALTH ADULT POPULATION AGED ANEMIA ANXIETY BABIES BABY BACTERIAL INFECTIONS BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES BIRTH SPACING BLIND BREASTFEEDING BULLETIN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAREGIVERS CHILD CARE CHILD HEALTH CHILDBEARING CHILDBEARING AGE CHILDHOOD CHILDHOOD ILLNESS CHOLESTEROL CHRONIC DISEASE CHRONIC DISEASES CHRONIC ILLNESSES CORONARY HEART DISEASE CORONARY HEART DISEASES DEATH RATE DEHYDRATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DIABETES DIARRHEA DIET DISEASE CONTROL DISEASES DRUGS EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY DEATH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY EFFECTIVE VACCINES EPIDEMIOLOGY FEMALES FETUS FOOD SUPPLEMENTS GENERATION OF CHILDREN GYNECOLOGY HEALTH INTERVENTIONS HEALTH SECTOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE HIV HOME CARE HOSPITAL HOSPITALIZATION HOSPITALS HUMAN BIOLOGY HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS HYPERTENSION ILLNESSES IMMUNODEFICIENCY INDIVIDUAL NEEDS INFANCY INFANT INFANT DEATH INFANT ILLNESS INFANT MORTALITY INFANT MORTALITY RATES INFANTS INFECTIONS INFECTIOUS DISEASES INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY INTERVENTION INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION IRON LABOR MARKET LEARNING LIFE CYCLE LIVE BIRTHS LOW BIRTH WEIGHT LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES LOW-INCOME COUNTRY LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS LUNG DISEASE MALARIA MALNUTRITION MATERNAL HEALTH MATERNAL MORTALITY MEASLES MEASLES IMMUNIZATION MEDICAL ATTENTION MEDICAL CARE MEDICINE METABOLISM MORALITY MORBIDITY MORTALITY RATE MOTHER MULTIPLE BIRTHS NEONATAL CARE NEONATAL DEATH NEONATAL MORTALITY NEWBORN NEWBORNS NUTRITION INTERVENTIONS OBSTETRICS OUTPATIENT CARE OXYGEN PARASITIC DISEASE PEDIATRICS PERSONAL COMMUNICATION PHYSICAL WORK PNEUMONIA POLICY RESEARCH POOR HEALTH POOR NUTRITION POPULATION STUDIES PREGNANCY PREGNANCY OUTCOMES PREGNANT WOMAN PRETERM BIRTH PROGRESS PURCHASING POWER PURCHASING POWER PARITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS RESPIRATORY DISEASE RISK OF ILLNESS SCHIZOPHRENIA SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS SIBLINGS SMOKING SOCIAL MARKETING SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS STUNTED CHILDREN STUNTING TEENS TREATMENT UNDERNUTRITION UNEMPLOYMENT URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS VITAMIN A VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION WEIGHT GAIN WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION YOUNG ADULT YOUNG CHILDREN Reducing the incidence of low birth weight not only lowers infant mortality rates but also has multiple benefits over the life cycle. This study estimates the economic benefits of reducing the incidence of low birth weight in low-income countries, both through lower mortality rates and medical costs and through increased learning and productivity. The estimated economic benefits, under plausible assumptions, are fairly substantial, at about $510 per infant moved from a low-birth-weight status. The estimated gains are primarily from increases in labor productivity (partially through more education) and secondarily from avoiding costs due to infant illness and death. Thus there may be many interventions to reduce the incidence of low birth weight that are warranted purely on the grounds of saving resources or increasing productivity. 2013-12-19T17:37:08Z 2013-12-19T17:37:08Z 2006-01-12 Journal Article http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/01/17590622/reducing-incidence-low-birth-weight-low-income-countries-substantial-economic-benefits World Bank Research Observer doi:10.1093/wbro/lkj001 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16397 English en_US CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/ World Bank Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank Publications & Research :: Journal Article Publications & Research :: Journal Article
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ADULT HEALTH
ADULT POPULATION
AGED
ANEMIA
ANXIETY
BABIES
BABY
BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES
BIRTH SPACING
BLIND
BREASTFEEDING
BULLETIN
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
CAREGIVERS
CHILD CARE
CHILD HEALTH
CHILDBEARING
CHILDBEARING AGE
CHILDHOOD
CHILDHOOD ILLNESS
CHOLESTEROL
CHRONIC DISEASE
CHRONIC DISEASES
CHRONIC ILLNESSES
CORONARY HEART DISEASE
CORONARY HEART DISEASES
DEATH RATE
DEHYDRATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DIABETES
DIARRHEA
DIET
DISEASE CONTROL
DISEASES
DRUGS
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EARLY DEATH
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY
EFFECTIVE VACCINES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FEMALES
FETUS
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
GENERATION OF CHILDREN
GYNECOLOGY
HEALTH INTERVENTIONS
HEALTH SECTOR
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
HIV
HOME CARE
HOSPITAL
HOSPITALIZATION
HOSPITALS
HUMAN BIOLOGY
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS
HYPERTENSION
ILLNESSES
IMMUNODEFICIENCY
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
INFANCY
INFANT
INFANT DEATH
INFANT ILLNESS
INFANT MORTALITY
INFANT MORTALITY RATES
INFANTS
INFECTIONS
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
INTERVENTION
INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION
INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION
IRON
LABOR MARKET
LEARNING
LIFE CYCLE
LIVE BIRTHS
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS
LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES
LOW-INCOME COUNTRY
LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS
LUNG DISEASE
MALARIA
MALNUTRITION
MATERNAL HEALTH
MATERNAL MORTALITY
MEASLES
MEASLES IMMUNIZATION
MEDICAL ATTENTION
MEDICAL CARE
MEDICINE
METABOLISM
MORALITY
MORBIDITY
MORTALITY RATE
MOTHER
MULTIPLE BIRTHS
NEONATAL CARE
NEONATAL DEATH
NEONATAL MORTALITY
NEWBORN
NEWBORNS
NUTRITION INTERVENTIONS
OBSTETRICS
OUTPATIENT CARE
OXYGEN
PARASITIC DISEASE
PEDIATRICS
PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
PHYSICAL WORK
PNEUMONIA
POLICY RESEARCH
POOR HEALTH
POOR NUTRITION
POPULATION STUDIES
PREGNANCY
PREGNANCY OUTCOMES
PREGNANT WOMAN
PRETERM BIRTH
PROGRESS
PURCHASING POWER
PURCHASING POWER PARITY
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS
RESPIRATORY DISEASE
RISK OF ILLNESS
SCHIZOPHRENIA
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
SIBLINGS
SMOKING
SOCIAL MARKETING
SOCIAL SERVICES
SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
STUNTED CHILDREN
STUNTING
TEENS
TREATMENT
UNDERNUTRITION
UNEMPLOYMENT
URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
VITAMIN A
VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION
WEIGHT GAIN
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
YOUNG ADULT
YOUNG CHILDREN
spellingShingle ADULT HEALTH
ADULT POPULATION
AGED
ANEMIA
ANXIETY
BABIES
BABY
BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES
BIRTH SPACING
BLIND
BREASTFEEDING
BULLETIN
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
CAREGIVERS
CHILD CARE
CHILD HEALTH
CHILDBEARING
CHILDBEARING AGE
CHILDHOOD
CHILDHOOD ILLNESS
CHOLESTEROL
CHRONIC DISEASE
CHRONIC DISEASES
CHRONIC ILLNESSES
CORONARY HEART DISEASE
CORONARY HEART DISEASES
DEATH RATE
DEHYDRATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DIABETES
DIARRHEA
DIET
DISEASE CONTROL
DISEASES
DRUGS
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EARLY DEATH
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY
EFFECTIVE VACCINES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FEMALES
FETUS
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
GENERATION OF CHILDREN
GYNECOLOGY
HEALTH INTERVENTIONS
HEALTH SECTOR
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
HIV
HOME CARE
HOSPITAL
HOSPITALIZATION
HOSPITALS
HUMAN BIOLOGY
HUMAN CAPITAL
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS
HYPERTENSION
ILLNESSES
IMMUNODEFICIENCY
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
INFANCY
INFANT
INFANT DEATH
INFANT ILLNESS
INFANT MORTALITY
INFANT MORTALITY RATES
INFANTS
INFECTIONS
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
INTERVENTION
INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION
INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION
IRON
LABOR MARKET
LEARNING
LIFE CYCLE
LIVE BIRTHS
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS
LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES
LOW-INCOME COUNTRY
LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS
LUNG DISEASE
MALARIA
MALNUTRITION
MATERNAL HEALTH
MATERNAL MORTALITY
MEASLES
MEASLES IMMUNIZATION
MEDICAL ATTENTION
MEDICAL CARE
MEDICINE
METABOLISM
MORALITY
MORBIDITY
MORTALITY RATE
MOTHER
MULTIPLE BIRTHS
NEONATAL CARE
NEONATAL DEATH
NEONATAL MORTALITY
NEWBORN
NEWBORNS
NUTRITION INTERVENTIONS
OBSTETRICS
OUTPATIENT CARE
OXYGEN
PARASITIC DISEASE
PEDIATRICS
PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
PHYSICAL WORK
PNEUMONIA
POLICY RESEARCH
POOR HEALTH
POOR NUTRITION
POPULATION STUDIES
PREGNANCY
PREGNANCY OUTCOMES
PREGNANT WOMAN
PRETERM BIRTH
PROGRESS
PURCHASING POWER
PURCHASING POWER PARITY
RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS
RESPIRATORY DISEASE
RISK OF ILLNESS
SCHIZOPHRENIA
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
SIBLINGS
SMOKING
SOCIAL MARKETING
SOCIAL SERVICES
SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
STUNTED CHILDREN
STUNTING
TEENS
TREATMENT
UNDERNUTRITION
UNEMPLOYMENT
URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
VITAMIN A
VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION
WEIGHT GAIN
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
YOUNG ADULT
YOUNG CHILDREN
Alderman, Harold
Behrman, Jere R.
Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits
description Reducing the incidence of low birth weight not only lowers infant mortality rates but also has multiple benefits over the life cycle. This study estimates the economic benefits of reducing the incidence of low birth weight in low-income countries, both through lower mortality rates and medical costs and through increased learning and productivity. The estimated economic benefits, under plausible assumptions, are fairly substantial, at about $510 per infant moved from a low-birth-weight status. The estimated gains are primarily from increases in labor productivity (partially through more education) and secondarily from avoiding costs due to infant illness and death. Thus there may be many interventions to reduce the incidence of low birth weight that are warranted purely on the grounds of saving resources or increasing productivity.
format Journal Article
author Alderman, Harold
Behrman, Jere R.
author_facet Alderman, Harold
Behrman, Jere R.
author_sort Alderman, Harold
title Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits
title_short Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits
title_full Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits
title_fullStr Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits
title_full_unstemmed Reducing the Incidence of Low Birth Weight in Low-Income Countries Has Substantial Economic Benefits
title_sort reducing the incidence of low birth weight in low-income countries has substantial economic benefits
publisher Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank
publishDate 2013
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2006/01/17590622/reducing-incidence-low-birth-weight-low-income-countries-substantial-economic-benefits
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16397
_version_ 1764433472154238976