Impact of cash transfer programs on birth and child growth outcomes: systematic review

Cinthia Soares Lisboa1, Nathalia Sernizon Guimarães2, Andrêa Jacqueline Fortes Ferreira3

  • 1Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva. Av. Transnordestina s/n, Novo Horizonte. 44036-900 Feira de Santana BA Brasil. cinthiaslisboa@gmail.com.

PubMed

Insights

Cash transfers (CTs) show varied impacts on child health. Conditional CTs improve child growth and reduce low birth weight, while unconditional CTs are linked to lower birth weight and preterm births.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Economics

Background:

  • Cash transfer programs are increasingly used globally to improve socioeconomic conditions.
  • Understanding their impact on child health, particularly birth outcomes and growth, is crucial for policy development.

Conclusions:

  • Conditional cash transfers can positively influence birth outcomes and child growth metrics.
  • The type of cash transfer (conditional vs. unconditional) significantly moderates its impact on child health indicators.

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