In the U.S. teen mothers are more likely to give birth to low birth weight babies than non-teen mothers. There is also substantial evidence that smoking is a risk factor correlated with low birth weight. Low birth weight is a costly outcome in both the short and long term for parents, children,...

Substantial racial disparities continue to persist in the prevalence of preterm births and low-birth-weight births. Health policy aimed at reducing these disparities could be better targeted if the differences in birth outcomes are better understood. This study decomposes these racial...

Recent trends in the labor force participation of women have brought much public attention to the issue of women opting out. This paper explores the decision of working women to exit the labor market at a time of major transition the birth of a child utilizing linked vital statistics,...

European maternity legislation is more generous than that afforded pregnant workers in the United States and may, in part, may explain the higher US infant mortality rate. This coupled with older women and more non-married women having children has increased interest in the health effects of job...