TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Zhang, Xin
AU  - Wang, Yixuan
AU  - Hu, Xingyi
AU  - Chen, Xi
        TI  - Fetal Pollution Exposure, Cognitive Ability, and Gender-Specific Parental Investment
        PY  - 2024/Sep/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 17288
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17288
        AB  - This paper examines the impact of fetal exposure to air pollution on low-stakes test performance across a broad age range, with a focus on gender-specific parental responses to this negative shock. Using data from a nationally representative survey in China, we find that fetal PM2.5 exposure significantly reduce cognitive ability in women, particularly those with brothers. Gender-biased human capital investment by families tends to amplify the harmful effects for girls, while diminishing these effects for boys. Specifically, when exposed to the same level of fetal PM2.5, females receive less homework assistance from their families and attain lower levels of education.
        KW  - air pollution
KW  - cognitive ability
KW  - fetal exposure
KW  - gender bias
KW  - parental investment
        ER  -