Cash transfer programs have become extremely popular in the developing world. A large literature analyzes their effects on schooling, health and nutrition, but relatively little is known about possible impacts on child development. This paper analyzes the impact of a cash transfer program on...

Social protection programs such as cash or food transfers support current poverty and inequality reduction goals, while at the same time enhance future productivity through human capital investments. Yet, the quantification of their overall productivity and equity benefits is challenging. We...

This paper shows that trade policy can have significant intergenerational distributional effects across gender and social strata. We compare women and births in rural Indian districts more or less exposed to tariff cuts. For low socioeconomic status women, tariff cuts increase the likelihood of...

This paper offers evidence of the causal impact of high-speed Internet on sexual behavior and HIV spread in Africa. Our identification strategy exploits individual-level data combined with information on the gradual arrival of submarine Internet cables in Africa’s coastal regions. Robust...

We estimate production functions for cognition and health for children aged 1-12 in India, where over 70 million children aged 0-5 are at risk of developmental deficits. The inputs into the production functions include parental background, prior child cognition and health, and child investments....

We study the effect of adolescent motherhood on education and labor outcomes among 20-24 year old women in Chile. We identify causal effects of motherhood with family fixed effects using a large data set covering the 1990-2011 period. Teen motherhood has negative effects on education and labor...

We study how extreme weather exposure impacts infant survival in the developing world. Our analysis overcomes the absence of vital registration systems in many poor countries by extracting birth histories from household surveys. Studying 53 developing countries that span five continents, we find...

Access to primary care during early-life can have substantial benefits in developing countries. We evaluate the long-run impact of the Village Midwife Program in Indonesia. We utilize the rollout-variation of the program and link individual background and community characteristics in early...

We estimate production functions for cognition and health for children aged 1-12 in India, based on the Young Lives Survey. India has over 70 million children aged 0-5 who are at risk of developmental deficits. The inputs into the production functions include parental background, prior child...

We study the impact of introduction of a new complementary food product for infants into the market on infants’ nutritional status. We conduct experimental sales of the product, Koko-plus, with randomly selected mother-infant pairs every week for half a year in Ghana. We find that the...