THE EFFECT OF PUBLIC POLICY ON HIGH-RISK BIRTHS.
Item
-
Title
-
THE EFFECT OF PUBLIC POLICY ON HIGH-RISK BIRTHS.
-
Identifier
-
AAI8708285
-
identifier
-
8708285
-
Creator
-
GOLDBERG, RENEE.
-
Contributor
-
Michael Grossman
-
Date
-
1987
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Economics, General
-
Abstract
-
The infant mortality rate has shown tremendous declines throughout the 1960's and 1970's. These two decades had Federal and State governments activating policies geared to helping a mother, her fetus, and/or her newborn infant. This dissertation explores the extent to which certain government policies had an effect in lowering certain identified high-risk births: low and very low-birth weight births for black and white infants, and births to young and older women (black and white women studied separately). The government policies used in this study are: (1) Medicaid coverage of obstetrics and gynecology; (2) abortion legalization; (3) Maternal and Infant Care projects; (4) Subsidized family planning clinics for low income women.;The theory of household behavior as a production function is the framework of this model. The economic model that is developed here relates a certain high-risk birth group to medical care and fertility costs, while taking into account income and the state-of-the-art in neonatology. An increase in the amount of medical care supplied, or a decrease in the price, reduces the probability of a high-risk birth.;The eight different high-risk groups were regressed on social policy and program measures, income, schooling, and the state-of-the-art in neonatal medicine for both black and white births. The study covered the years 1969-1971. The county is the unit of observation.;The regression results clearly indicate the powerful impact the government policies have on lowering high-risk births. Medicaid coverage for obstetrics and gynecology and the presence of Maternal and Infant Care projects are the most important variables in lowering black and white teenage births, more important than changes in abortion laws. The presence of subsidized family planning clinics and abortion legalization are responsible for lowering the number of births to black and white older women. The risk group of low-birth weight was shown here to be most affected by abortion legalization for black and white births.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
-
Program
-
Economics
