Maternal human capital and infants’ health outcomes: Evidence from minimum dropout age policies in the US

Evaluating causal influence of maternal educational attainment on offspring birthweight via observational study and Mendelian randomization analyses

“…Indeed, it has shown that mothers with higher educational attainment generally have better resources and more health investments for prenatal care, nutrition, prenatal consultations, and living/working conditions, all of which could potentially affect birthweight ( Noghanibehambari, et al, 2022 ; Silvestrin, Hirakata, da Silva, & Goldani, 2020 ). In addition, maternal education can also directly and indirectly affect offspring outcomes including birthweight through choosing more promising partner, suitable timing of fertility and number of offspring, improving marriage prospects, and stopping unhealthy behaviors (e.g., smoking and drinking) before and during pregnancy ( Guarnizo-Herreño, et al, 2021 ), which ultimately reduce the possibility of low birthweight.…”

“…Among numerous possible determinants influencing offspring birthweight (e.g., gestation length, maternal smoking, maternal drinking, maternal nutrition, prenatal health care, maternal stress, and genetic factors) ( Brito Nunes, et al, 2023 ; Decina et al, 2023 ; Hwang, Lawlor, Freathy, Evans, & Warrington, 2019 ; Moen et al, 2020 ; Yajnik et al, 2014 ), parental educational attainment, as an important measure of socioeconomic status, has been shown to significantly associate with offspring health outcomes ( Balaj, et al, 2021 ; Johnson et al, 2022 ; Kong et al, 2018 ; Lu et al, 2023 ; Noghanibehambari, Salari, & Tavassoli, 2022 ). Particularly, maternal educational attainment is closely related to the birthweight of offspring by modifying intrauterine environments (e.g., maternal nutrition and maternal health) and taking health care behaviors ( Godah, et al, 2021 ; Silvestrin et al, 2013 ).…”

“…1 ). First, previous studies have tended to overlook paternal educational attainment, which is correlated with maternal educational attainment as implied by educational assortative mating ( Domingue, Fletcher, Conley, & Boardman, 2014 ; Noghanibehambari et al, 2022 ) and is also relevant to offspring outcomes including birthweight ( Alio, Salihu, Kornosky, Richman, & Marty, 2010 ; Balaj et al, 2021 ; Guarnizo-Herreño, Torres, & Buitrago, 2021 ; Shapiro et al, 2017 ). As a result, it is difficult to distinguish the independently maternal role from the parental impacts.…”

Associations between cord serum antibodies against phosphorylcholine and bacterial infections in neonates: a prospective cohort study in singletons and twins

“…Maternal and neonatal characteristics were collected from the hospital information system. These characteristics included maternal age at delivery [13], parity [14], educational level [15], mode of conception [16], pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) [17], vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy [18], diabetic diseases [19], hypertensive diseases [20], infectious diseases during pregnancy [21], anemia during pregnancy [22], and gestational age at delivery [21]. Characteristics of neonates included sex [23] and birth weight [21].…”

“…educational level [15], mode of conception [16], pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) [17], vaginal bleeding during early pregnancy [18], diabetic diseases [19],…”