The Impacts of Political Violence on Birth Outcomes: Evidence from Ethnic Conflicts in Coastal Kenya

Abstract

This paper investigates the extent to which political violence influences infant health in Coastal Kenya. We uncover the negative consequences of exposure to political violence on newborn health within a difference-in-differences regression methodology. Specifically, an additional month of political violence during the prenatal period reduces child weight at birth by 20 grams or 0.6%. Our research suggests adopting quick and practical actions to mitigate the negative impacts of political violence in Kenya.