In-utero exposure to local COVID-19 incidence and infant birthweight in Brazil

In this article, we investigate whether in-utero exposure to municipal-level COVID-19 incidence rates in Brazil was associated with lower infant birth weight. To lower endogeneity related to conception during COVID-19, we include infants who were conceived before and born after, the first official case of COVID-19 in Brazil, 26 February 2020. Using the administrative natality data of infants, in-utero exposure to local COVID-19 incidence rate did not affect infant birth weight, and the estimates are robust to heterogeneities by mother's demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Findings have implications for the effect of in-utero exposure to local COVID-19 incidence rates and birth weight.

Automated summary

This article investigates whether in-utero exposure to municipal-level COVID-19 incidence rates in Brazil is associated with lower infant birth weight. The study finds that in-utero exposure to local COVID-19 incidence rates does not affect infant birth weight, after considering endogeneity related to conception during COVID-19.