Welfare state and infant mortality

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Policy
• Economics

Background:

• Infant mortality is a key social indicator sensitive to policy interventions.
• Understanding the impact of welfare-state spending on infant mortality is crucial.

Observation:

• Country fixed-effects models were employed to analyze the relationship.
• The study controlled for economic development and potential reverse causation.

Findings:

• Public health spending significantly lowers infant mortality rates.
• The impact of health spending is cumulative over a five-year period.
• State spending influences infant mortality through social and medical mechanisms, varying by welfare state structure.

Implications:

• Evidence supports targeted public health investments for reducing infant mortality.
• Policy interventions can be tailored based on welfare state institutional structures.
• The findings underscore the importance of sustained health spending for public health outcomes.