The effect of in utero exposure to household air pollution on child health: Evidence from Ghana

Abstract

This study examines the impact of in utero exposure to household air pollution on child health. By using a pseudo panel data compiled from three rounds of two separate household datasets in Ghana, we investigate the impacts of dirty fuel use which leads to household air pollution on child stunting at the district level. The results after analysis using the two stage residual inclusion approach indicate that exposure to household air pollution in utero causes stunting in children after birth. We found that children born in the districts using firewood or charcoal as a main cooking fuel are shorter on average after birth. The estimated impacts are sizable: for example, by switching cooking fuel from dirty fuels to LPG, the average height for age Z score in the sample would increase from –1.269 to –0.43. The gender dimensions of the household air pollution effects were further explored. Boys were found to take a worse hit from in utero exposures compared to girls. The findings imply that policy to enhance clean cooking fuel use will help reduce child stunting in developing countries. An increase in clean cooking fuel usage and a reduction in child stunting are both necessary to support the success of the SDGs.