Abstract:-

This paper examines the interactive role of son preference and reproductive healthcare conditions in influencing maternal morbidity and mortality. Using data for 2.5 million women across 44 developing countries over 1990-2018, we exploit the cross-country variation in the intensity of son preference and the state of reproductive health care conditions and document some distinct patterns in maternal health outcomes. We first show that, in societies where strong son preference and poor maternal healthcare coexist, women with first-born girls exhibit a higher incidence of moderate or severe anemia, a well-documented risk factor for maternal mortality. Moreover, each successive female birth has additional detrimental effects on the incidence of anemia. Results also suggest that women with first-born girls exhibit a lower likelihood of survival into older ages. These outcomes persist over the 28-year period under study. While indicators of access to maternal health have been improving, an escalation in the manifestation of son preference in these countries may motivate this persistence.