Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/215273 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12877
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper is one of the first to examine the associations between prenatal sunshine exposure and birth outcomes, specifically the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA), based on a nationally representative birth record dataset in China. During the sample period in the 1990s, migration was limited in rural China, allowing us to address the identification challenges, like residential sorting and avoidance behaviors. We found a nonlinear relationship between the length of sunlight and birth outcomes. In particular, prenatal exposure to increasing sunshine was associated with a reduction in the incidence of LBW and SGA, especially in the second trimester during pregnancy. This finding was consistent with the clinical evidence suggesting positive effects of sunshine on birth outcomes via obtaining vitamin D or relieving maternal stress.
Subjects: 
small for gestational age
low birth weight
sunshine duration
China
JEL: 
I12
J13
I18
Q51
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
921.34 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.