Maternity Leave Length and Maternal and Child Health

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This study uses longitudinal data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECC) to investigate how maternity leave length, as well as the flexibility and intensity of work pursued after childbirth, affect maternal outcomes that are important to children's health and development. We focus on mothers who return to work within a year after childbirth. We will estimate the association between the length of maternity leave, the intensity and flexibility of work after childbirth, and the following outcomes measured 6, 15, 24, and 36 months after childbirth: maternal depressive symptoms; breastfeeding initiation and duration; well-child visits; parenting stress; maternal sensitivity; and parenting quality in the home. We also will investigate whether the effects of maternity leave length and work arrangements after childbirth vary by demographic sub-groups. Using SECC data, as sample size permits, we will test whether effects vary by maternal education level, marital status, income, race/ethnicity, child gender, and by whether the maternity leave was paid or unpaid. We then corroborate findings by re-estimating the models developed using the SECC with data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). The ECLS-B data provide sufficient sample sizes for separate analyses by marital status, by race/ethnicity, and by whether the mother receives welfare. We use multiple regression analysis along with other empirical methods, including propensity score matching methods and instrumental variables, that address the possibility that maternity leave length is correlated with unobserved factors that also affect maternal health and parenting outcomes. While previous work has focused on how maternal employment affects children's outcomes, the overarching goal of this study is to understand how maternity leave length impacts maternal outcomes that are important to child health and development. This research will contribute to our knowledge of how labor market choices and public policies that affect these choices influence the health and well being of mothers and children.