Is the quantity-quality trade-off a trade-off for all, none, or some?

Although the theoretical trade-off between the quantity and quality of children is well-established, empirical evidence supporting such a causal relationship - particularly on child health - is limited. We use two measures of child health to asses the quantity-quality trade-off across the entire distribution. Using data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey and controlling for the potential endogeneity of child quantity, we find evidence of a causal trade-off only for some and only in the short-run.