Birth Outcome Production Function in the United States

Abstract

This paper contains the first infant health production functions that simultaneously consider the effects of a variety of inputs on race-specific neonatal mortality rates [in the United States]. These inputs include the use of prenatal care neonatal intensive care abortion federally subsidized organized family planning clinics maternal and infant care projects community health centers and the WIC [Supplemental Food Program for Women Infants and Children] program. We place major emphasis on two-stage least squares estimation. Our results underscore the qualitative and quantitative importance of abortion prenatal care neonatal intensive care and the WIC program in black and white birth outcomes. (EXCERPT)