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Maternal Investments in Children: The Role of Expected Effort and Returns

Author

Listed:
  • Bhalotra, Sonia R.

    (University of Warwick)

  • Delavande, Adeline

    (University of Technology, Sydney)

  • Gilabert, Paulino Font

    (University of Essex)

  • Maselko, Joanna

    (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

Abstract
We investigate the importance of subjective expectations of returns to and effort costs of the two main investments that mothers make in newborns: breastfeeding and stimulation. We find heterogeneity across mothers in expected effort costs and expected returns for outcomes in the cognitive, socio-emotional and health domains, and we show that this contributes to explaining heterogeneity in investments. We find no significant heterogeneity in preferences for child developmental outcomes. We simulate the impact of various policies on investments. Our findings highlight the relevance of interventions designed to reduce perinatal fatigue alongside interventions that increase perceived returns to investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Delavande, Adeline & Gilabert, Paulino Font & Maselko, Joanna, 2020. "Maternal Investments in Children: The Role of Expected Effort and Returns," IZA Discussion Papers 13056, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13056
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    Cited by:

    1. Biroli, Pietro & Boneva, Teodora & Raja, Akash & Rauh, Christopher, 2022. "Parental beliefs about returns to child health investments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 231(1), pages 33-57.
    2. Francesco Capozza, 2024. "Beliefs about the Gender Gap in Salary Negotiations," CESifo Working Paper Series 11228, CESifo.
    3. Michele Giannola, 2024. "Parental Investments and Intra-household Inequality in Child Human Capital: Evidence from a Survey Experiment," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(658), pages 671-727.
    4. John List & Julie Pernaudet & Dana Suskind, 2021. "It All Starts with Beliefs: Addressing the Roots of Educational Inequities by Changing Parental Beliefs," Framed Field Experiments 00740, The Field Experiments Website.
    5. Conti, G.; & Giustinelli, P.;, 2022. "For Better or Worse? Subjective Expectations and Cost-Benefit Trade-Offs in Health Behavior: An Application to Lockdown Compliance in the United Kingdom," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 22/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    6. Kiessling, Lukas, 2021. "How do parents perceive the returns to parenting styles and neighborhoods?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    7. Gabriella Conti & Pamela Giustinelli, 2023. "For better or worse? Subjective expectations and cost-benefit trade-offs in health behavior," IFS Working Papers W23/19, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    8. Siddique, Abu & Islam, Asad & Mozumder, Tanvir Ahmed & Rahman, Tabassum & Shatil, Tanvir, 2022. "Forced Displacement, Mental Health, and Child Development: Evidence from the Rohingya Refugees," SocArXiv b4fc7, Center for Open Science.
    9. Flavio Cunha & Marsha Gerdes & Qinyou Hu & Snejana Nihtianova, 2023. "Language Environment and Maternal Expectations: An Evaluation of the LENA Start Program," NBER Working Papers 30837, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Cunha, Flávio & Elo, Irma & Culhane, Jennifer, 2022. "Maternal subjective expectations about the technology of skill formation predict investments in children one year later," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 231(1), pages 3-32.
    11. Flavio Cunha & Irma Elo & Jennifer Culhane, 2021. "Maternal Subjective Expectations about the Technology of Skill Formation Predict Investments in Children One Year Later," Working Papers 2021-018, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    12. Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2022. "Parental misbeliefs and household investment in children's education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    psychic costs; maternal depression; beliefs; child development; early life; maternal investment; subjective expectations; effort costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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