Fasting During Pregnancy and Children's Academic Performance

28 Pages Posted: 31 Dec 2011 Last revised: 27 May 2023

See all articles by Douglas Almond

Douglas Almond

Columbia University - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Bhashkar Mazumder

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Reyn van Ewijk

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz - Department of Economics

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Date Written: December 2011

Abstract

We consider the effects of daytime fasting by pregnant women during the lunar month of Ramadan on their children's test scores at age seven. Using English register data, we find that scores are .05 to .08 standard deviations lower for Pakistani and Bangladeshi students exposed to Ramadan in early pregnancy. These estimates are downward biased to the extent that Ramadan is not universally observed. We conclude that the effects of prenatal investments on test scores are comparable to many conventional educational interventions but are likely to be more cost effective and less subject to "fade out".

Suggested Citation

Almond, Douglas Vincent and Mazumder, Bhashkar and van Ewijk, Reyn, Fasting During Pregnancy and Children's Academic Performance (December 2011). NBER Working Paper No. w17713, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1977763

Douglas Vincent Almond (Contact Author)

Columbia University - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics ( email )

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Bhashkar Mazumder

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago ( email )

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Reyn Van Ewijk

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz - Department of Economics ( email )

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