Occupational licensing and maternal health: Evidence from early midwifery laws Articles uri icon

publication date

  • January 2020

start page

  • 4337

end page

  • 4383

issue

  • 11

volume

  • 128

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0022-3808

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1537-534X

abstract

  • Exploiting variation across states and municipalities in the timing and details of midwifery laws introduced during the period 1900¿1940 and using data assembled from various primary sources, we find that requiring midwives to be licensed reduced maternal mortality by 7%¿ 8% and may have led to modest reductions in infant mortality. These estimates represent the strongest evidence to date that licensing restrictions can improve the health of consumers and are directly relevant to ongoing policy debates on the merits of licensing midwives. © 2020 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

keywords

  • infant mortality maternal health maternal mortality occupation policy approach