Migradollars and mortality: The effects of migration on infant survival in Mexico

Abstract

We apply multilevel methods to data from Mexico to examine how village migration patterns affect infant survival outcomes in origins. We argue that migration is a cumulative process with varying health effects at different stages of its progression, and test several related hypotheses. Findings suggest higher rates of infant mortality in communities experiencing intense U.S. migration. However, two factors diminish the disruptive effects of migration: migradollars, or migrant remittances to villages, and the institutionalization of migration over time. Mortality risks are low when remittances are high and decrease as migration becomes increasingly salient to livelihoods of communities. Together, the findings indicate eventual benefits to all infants, irrespective of household migration experience, as a result of the development of social and economic processes related to U.S. migration.

The mixed effects of migration: Community-level migration and birthweight in Mexico

“…Hamilton et al, 2009;Riosmena et al, 2013). On the other hand, studies have suggested that the impact of community outmigration may shift directions once migration becomes institutionalized, or normative, in a sending community (Kanaiaupuni and Donato, 1999). The null effects reported in other studies may capture heterogeneity in the impacts of community out-migration across communities with differing histories of migration; the net negative impact uncovered in our study may reflect the dominating influence of less institutionalized migration flows.…”

“…Research focusing on infant health in Mexico has demonstrated that migration at both the household and community levels matters, but how migration matters depends on the dimension of migration studied. Specifically, this research finds that whereas remittances are beneficial for infant health, the absence of household and community members is harmful for infant health (Frank, 2005;Hamilton et al, 2009;Kanaiaupuni and Donato, 1999). This conclusion is based on studies focused on two highly related indicators of infant healthdLBW and infant mortality.…”

“…The odds of LBW were nearly 50% lower in households receiving remittances (Frank and Hummer, 2002). Infants born in communities receiving more than $10,000 annually in remittances also had lower odds of infant mortality (Kanaiaupuni and Donato, 1999).…”

“…Kanaiaupuni and Donato (1999) found that a high degree of outmigration from a community is associated with increased odds of infant mortality. Out-migration is disruptive not only of household lives but also of community life, as it removes the instrumental and social support that migrants provide to their communities.…”

“…Infants born into migrant-sending households are vulnerable to the adverse health consequences of emotional hardship resulting from the migration of family members, but they benefit from improved material wellbeing due to migrant remittances. Research also shows that the "mixed" effects of migration on infant health may extend beyond migrant households to non-migrant households, which contribute a larger number of births in Mexico (Kanaiaupuni and Donato, 1999). That the migration of unrelated community members has an impact on the health of infants born in sending communities reveals the far-reaching and important transnational linkages formed through migration.…”