Full Citation

Title: Shadows of the Captain of the Men of Death: Long-Run Effects of Early Life Pneumonia, Human Capital Investment and Institutions

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2012

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI:

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: We leverage the introduction of antibiotics in 1937 to demonstrate the long-run impactsof pneumonia in infancy on human capital and socioeconomic status among American adults. Theseimpacts are larger for whites, despite the fact that blacks experienced larger post-1937 declines inpneumonia mortality rates. We argue that pre-Civil Rights barriers to human capital accumulationinhibited complementary investments by blacks. Consistent with this, we see significant gradientsin impacts for blacks (but not whites) by indicators of institutional segregation. Our resultsdemonstrate the importance of responsive investments in translating early-life health into later lifesocioeconomic status and highlight persistent impacts of racial segregation.

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Venkataramani, Atheendar; Bhalotra, Sonia

Series Title:

Publication Number:

Institution: Brandeis University

Pages:

Publisher Location: Brandeis University

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics:

Countries: