Dear colleagues, The Department of Economics cordially invites you to the WU Research Seminar in Economics on Wednesday, November 5th, with Ilka Gerhardts (https://www.econ.lmu.de/de/personen/kontaktseite/ilka-gerhardts-8edb094a.htm...) presenting: "Just another Pill? The Health Consequences of Labor Induction - Evidence from Germany". Abstract: Overtreatment at childbirth is a pressing topic worldwide. This paper provides novel evidence on the causal effect of non-medically indicated labor induction on the health of mothers and newborns, as well as on hospitals' follow-up care. The analysis draws on the universe of hospital births in Germany from 2015-16, a context where the timing of births helps reduce uncertainty in maternity unit management. As a result, by 2022, one in five women was induced -- twice as often as in 1985. The empirical design disentangles induction from the interdependent assignments of cesarean sections and instrumented deliveries. Identification leverages two novel sources of quasi-random variation in the likelihood of induction faced by healthy first-time mothers: (1) the timing of natural prelabor membrane ruptures, and (2) the presence of recently completed deliveries upon hospital admission, which subtly influences prospective procedure use. By blending single- and multi-treatment IV models, the results show that induction substantially increases perineal damage and follow-up surgery, and impairs neonatal fitness. Hospitals' ambiguous care responses tend to downplay the procedure's detrimental health impact, especially when compared to cesarean sections. Policies should target induction as a key to prevent downstream cascades of further interventions. * Date: Wednesday, November 5th * Time: 4.30 to 6 pm (CET) * Location: building D4, ground floor, D4.0.136<https://campus.wu.ac.at/?q=D4.0.136> With best regards, Harald Oberhofer --- Univ.-Prof. Dr. Harald Oberhofer Department of Economics WU Vienna University of Economics and Business Phone: +43/1/31336-4984 Email: harald.oberhofer@wu.ac.at<mailto:harald.oberhofer@wu.ac.at> https://www.wu.ac.at/en/economics/people/oberhofer-h Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) Phone: +43/1/7982601-468 Email: harald.oberhofer@wifo.ac.at<mailto:harald.oberhofer@wifo.ac.at> http://www.wifo.ac.at/harald_oberhofer