Sibling Rivalry, Resources Constraints, and the Health of Children.

Low levels of human capital ivnestment in poor countries have important implications for economic growth, distribution, and social conditions -- and competing explanations for the low levels have been suggested. The most prominent explanations cite low returns, parental preferences, cultural barriers, and resources constraints. This paper distinguishes between the explanations by drawing on the economic theory of the household to derive testable hypotheses about the role of family structure on child health.