Parental Leave Benefits and Breastfeeding in Germany: Effects of the 2007 Reform

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research at DIW BerlinThis series presents research findings based either directly on data from the German SocioEconomic Panel Study (SOEP) or using SOEP data as part of an internationally comparable data set (e.g. CNEF, ECHP, LIS, LWS, CHER/PACO). SOEP is a truly multidisciplinary household panel study covering a wide range of social and behavioral sciences: economics, sociology, psychology, survey methodology, econometrics and applied statistics, educational science, political science, public health, behavioral genetics, demography, geography, and sport science.The decision to publish a submission in SOEPpapers is made by a board of editors chosen by the DIW Berlin to represent the wide range of disciplines covered by SOEP. There is no external referee process and papers are either accepted or rejected without revision. Papers appear in this series as works in progress and may also appear elsewhere. They often represent preliminary studies and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be requested from the author directly.Any opinions expressed in this series are those of the author(s) and not those of DIW Berlin.Research disseminated by DIW Berlin may include views on public policy issues, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. Juni 2014 AbstractWhile the health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and children are well known, breastfeeding may make it difficult for mothers to return early to the labor market. Maternity and parental leave regulations have been designed to reduce this conflict. In 2007, Germany put into effect a new parental leave benefit (Elterngeld ). The related reform increased the number of parents eligible for benefits and changed the amount and duration of the benefits. The reform sought to decrease the pressure to return to the labor market soon after childbirth, especially for those parents who did not benefit under the old system. The current paper investigates whether this reform of parental leave impacted breastfeeding initiation and duration in Germany. We draw on representative survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) from 2002 through 2012. Three breastfeeding measures are exploited 1) breastfeeding at birth or no breastfeeding initiation; 2) breastfeeding for at least four months; and 3) breastfeeding for a...

The Socioecological Model as a Framework for Exploring Factors Influencing Childhood Immunization Uptake in Lagos State, Nigeria

“…For example, there is ample evidence that universal healthcare coverage increases access to healthcare services, including immunization (41)(42)(43). Similarly, the presence of public or organizational policies providing women with paid maternity leave has been found to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration (44)(45)(46). Policies that ensure access to health insurance that covers immunization have also been found to determine access to immunization services, therefore, playing a signi cant role in immunization decision-making (42,47,48).…”

Paid maternity leave extension and exclusive breastfeeding practice: evidence from Brunei

“…Our present study showed that maternal district of residence had no significant influence on EBF. By contrast, studies conducted in Bangladesh [9], Germany [25], and Tanzania [26] reported a significant influence of geographical location on EBF practice.…”

“…Similarly, a study that investigated the paid parental leave (PPL) in Australia, drawing a sample from 2 prevalence surveys, observed better physical and mental health and well-being, in mothers during the post-PPL era, although the "effects were small" [27]. Another study that investigated the effects of Germany's Elterngeld (new parental leave benefits) 2007 policy on breastfeeding practices in Germany found that breastfeeding duration increased by 9.2% at 4 months and 7.9% at 6 months of infant age, respectively, among the beneficiaries of the parental leave reforms [25]. A systematic review of the literature with participants from Australia, Canada, Lebanon, Norway, Sweden, and the USA concluded that PML has health benefits, with longer paid leaves conferring higher impact [28].…”

Paid parental leave and family wellbeing in the sustainable development era

“…For example, in a range of studies from high-income countries, researchers have found that extending the duration of paid leave increases rates of breastfeeding for at least the critical first six months of the infant’s life [ 10 – 13 ]. Following reforms to Canada’s maternal (maternity plus parental) leave policy, which increased from 6 months to nearly 1 year in most provinces in 2000 [ 14 ], the share of women breastfeeding exclusively for at least 6 months increased by between 7.7 and 9.1 percentage points, according to a study that used longitudinal survey data to examine changes in health practices before and after the policy change [ 10 ].…”