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The returns to early-life interventions for very low birth weight children

Eric Chyn1, Samantha Gold2, Justine Hastings3

  • 1Dartmouth College, RIPL, NBER, United States.

Journal of Health Economics
|December 28, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Early interventions for low birth weight newborns significantly improve educational outcomes and reduce social program costs. This study demonstrates the long-term benefits of timely medical care for vulnerable infants.

Area of Science:

  • Health Economics
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Policy

Background:

  • Low birth weight newborns often require specialized interventions.
  • The impact of these early-life interventions on long-term outcomes is a critical area of research.
  • Understanding the cost-effectiveness of interventions is essential for public health policy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the long-term effects of early-life interventions for low birth weight newborns.
  • To assess the impact on educational attainment and social program utilization.
  • To provide evidence for the economic benefits of targeted neonatal care.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized comprehensive administrative data from Rhode Island.
  • Employed a regression discontinuity design based on the 1,500 g Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) threshold.
  • Analyzed in-hospital care intensity and later-life outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Threshold crossing for VLBW status led to more intensive in-hospital care.
  • A 0.34 standard deviation increase in elementary and middle school test scores was observed.
  • College enrollment probability increased by 17.1 percentage points.
  • Social program expenditures decreased by $66,997 per capita by age 14.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life interventions for low birth weight infants yield substantial long-term educational and economic benefits.
  • Regression discontinuity design effectively measures the causal impact of VLBW status interventions.
  • Investment in neonatal care for low birth weight newborns demonstrates significant returns in reduced social spending and improved life outcomes.

Keywords:
Early-life interventionsMedical care

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