Anna Aizer|Laura R. Stroud|Stephen L. Buka
Maternal Stress and Child Outcomes: Evidence from Siblings
abstract study maternal stress affects offspring outcomes find utero exposure elevated levels stress hormone cortisol negatively affects offspring cognition health educational attainment findings based comparisons siblings limit variation shortlived shocks controls unobserved differences mothers could bias estimates results consistent recent experimental results neurobiological literature linking exogenous exposure stress hormones utero declines offspring cognitive behavioral motor development moreover find mothers low levels human capital characterized higher variable cortisol levels negative impact elevated cortisol offspring greater results suggest maternal stress may play role intergenerational persistence poverty