Parental Leave Policies and Maternal and Infant Health. Executive Summary

摘要

The project estimates the simultaneous relationship between women's postpartum health and infant health, on women's time off work after childbirth. There was a u-shaped relationship between time off work and maternal mental health and energy; only women with a leave greater than six months exhibited a positive relationship between time off work and maternal health. Maternity leave duration did not affect infant physical well-being at six months. Factors affecting time off work included employment policies, economic factors, work place characteristics, and maternal and infant health characteristics. Single mothers used significantly less time off work after childbirth relative to married mothers. This effect is related to the lack of earnings by a partner.