Journal of Economic Perspectives
ISSN 0895-3309 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7965 (Online)
Killing Me Softly: The Fetal Origins Hypothesis
Journal of Economic Perspectives
vol. 25,
no. 3, Summer 2011
(pp. 153–72)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
In the epidemiological literature, the fetal origins hypothesis associated with David J. Barker posits that chronic, degenerative conditions of adult health, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, may be triggered by circumstances decades earlier, particularly, by in utero nutrition. Economists have expanded on this hypothesis, investigating a broader range of fetal shocks and circumstances and have found a wealth of later-life impacts on outcomes including test scores, educational attainment, and income, along with health. In the process, they have provided some of the most credible observational evidence in support of the hypothesis. The magnitude of the impacts is generally large. Thus, the fetal origins hypothesis has not only survived contact with economics, but has flourished.Citation
Almond, Douglas, and Janet Currie. 2011. "Killing Me Softly: The Fetal Origins Hypothesis." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 25 (3): 153–72. DOI: 10.1257/jep.25.3.153JEL Classification
- I12 Health Production
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
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