Seyed M Karimi

The Effect of Prenatal Exposure to Ramadan on Children's Height

HIGHLIGHTSWe examine the effect of prenatal exposure to Ramadan on childrens height.To control for potential seasonal effects, we pool data from numerous developing countries.We find exposure to Ramadan during the early and mid‐gestation is associated with significant decrease in height in Muslim male children.We identify no negative effect in female children.The effect tends to be stronger in West Africa and Central Asia. It is also tends to be stronger in more religious countries. ABSTRACT We examine the effect of prenatal exposure to Ramadan on childrens height by sex, age, region, and the degree of religiosity. Since Ramadan rotates on solar calendars, we pool demographic and health survey data from numerous developing countries to increase the number of birth years and fairly control for potential seasonal effects. Our results suggest that Ramadan‐induced nutritional stress during early‐ and mid‐gestation may negatively affect the height of 3 and 4years old Muslim male children. The effect tends to be stronger in West Africa and Central Asia. It also tends to be stronger in more religious countries. We do not detect consistent negative effects on height in female children.

Children's Gender and Men's Income: Evidence from Iran

In many societies, men work for more hours and acquire higher wages if they have sons versus daughters. Gender bias, higher returns to male children’s human capital, and higher costs of raising male children are hypothesized to explain this behavior; among these, gender bias has received stronger support from empirical studies. Using a four-year panel dataset, we show that a different institutional setting may make men respond to their children’s gender differently. We study men’s income in a dotal society, Iran, where families were expected to provide dowry for their marrying daughters. We show that, in contrast to the findings in developed countries, Iranian men earn more income when they have daughters versus sons, and we argue that the institution of marriage is the major reason for this unconventional result.