Cesarean sections for high-risk births: health, fertility, and labor market outcomes*

Abstract

A cesarean section (C-section) is common practice in complicated deliveries that otherwise carry risk of severe complications. However, C-sections themselves carry risks, as do all major surgical procedures. In this paper, I examine the causal effects of C-sections on child and maternal outcomes in a population of high-risk deliveries, namely breech births. To capture the causal effect of C-sections, I exploit an information shock to the medical community on the effectiveness of the procedure. Using Swedish administrative data, I find that C-sections improve the health of children at birth and during childhood. I find no significant impacts on maternal morbidity or labor market outcomes.