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Mergers and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from Maternity Ward Closures

Author

Listed:
  • Avdic, Daniel

    (CINCH)

  • Lundborg, Petter

    (Lund University)

  • Vikström, Johan

    (IFAU)

Abstract
Evidence suggests that hospital mergers can reduce costs but less is known about their effects on patient outcomes. We study how a wave of mergers that led to the shutdown of one third of all Swedish maternity wards affected the health of mothers who gave birth and their newborns. Applying a difference-in-differences approach to register data on all births in Sweden over two decades, we show that the closures negatively affected the health of mothers, while effects on infant health were small and insignificant. The adverse effects on mothers are mainly driven by crowding effects at remaining wards rather than by increased distance to the wards. Moreover, the closures reduced the use of C-sections for high-risk births.

Suggested Citation

  • Avdic, Daniel & Lundborg, Petter & Vikström, Johan, 2018. "Mergers and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from Maternity Ward Closures," IZA Discussion Papers 11772, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11772
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Maibom, Jonas & Sievertsen, Hans H. & Simonsen, Marianne & Wüst, Miriam, 2021. "Maternity ward crowding, procedure use, and child health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    2. Blesse, Sebastian & Diegmann, André, 2022. "The place-based effects of police stations on crime: Evidence from station closures," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    3. Lazuka, Volha, 2019. "It’s a long walk: Lasting effects of maternity ward openings on labour market performance," Lund Papers in Economic History 187, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    4. Pinka Chatterji & Chun-Yu Ho & Xue Wu, 2023. "Obstetric Unit Closures and Racial/Ethnic Disparity in Health," NBER Working Papers 30986, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Mikko Nurminen, 2021. "Mergers and Acquisitions in the Markets for Diagnostic Services: Evidence from the Finnish Private Health Care Sector," Discussion Papers 139, Aboa Centre for Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    quality of care; hospital closure; birth outcomes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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