%0 Report
        %A Miller, Sarah
%A Persson, Petra
%A Rossin-Slater, Maya
%A Wherry, Laura
        %T The Labor Market and Health Impacts of Reducing Cesarean Section Deliveries
        %D 2026
        %8 2026 May
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 18629
        %U https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp18629
        %X We study an intervention that reduced cesarean deliveries among low-risk first-time mothers, using California birth records linked to earnings data. Exposed mothers were 8% less likely to have a c-section, with no adverse health effects. We find suggestive evidence that they were more likely to return to their pre-birth employerandhadhigherwithin-firmearningsrankingsinthequarterpostbirth. These labor market gains fade over time. However, mothers who had a second child were less likely to have a c-section or preterm delivery, suggesting our estimated effects from avoiding a first c-section may be lower bounds on total gains.
        %K c-section
%K maternal health
%K child penalty