University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Health policies, laws, and practices

Safer births, stronger lives

This study finds that early exposure to state midwifery licensing laws in the early 1900s improved health later in life

The motherhood tradeoff: fertility and later-life mortality

This study explores how having more children affects parents’ longevity, with implications for family planning and social policy. Using 1940 U.S.

Lead exposure and longevity loss

Exposure to lead in water pipes during early life significantly reduces later-life male longevity.

Health boost from hookworm control

The Rockefeller Sanitation Commission’s hookworm eradication campaign in the American South during the 1910s led to an increase of 1 month in later-life longevity for those fully exposed in early life.

The lifesaving legacy of a childhood vaccine

This study shows that the nationwide rollout of the polio vaccine in the 1950s didn’t just save lives in the short term—it extended them decades later.

Early care, longer life

Early-life exposure to County Health Departments (CHDs), which provided affordable healthcare in underserved areas, is linked to about 0.9 months of additional longevity for those exposed in-utero up to age 4.

The power of clean water

This study examines the long-term benefits of early-life exposure to city-wide water filtration systems introduced in 25 major American cities in the early 20th century.

The proof of life: how birth registration boosts longevity

This study is the first to link childhood exposure to birth registration laws with longer life in old age, estimating an intent-to-treat effect of 0.08 years (about 1 month) increase in lifespan.

Early-life disease burden and later-life mortality

This study finds that being born during periods with high infant mortality, reflecting poor disease environments and limited healthcare access, is linked to higher mortality rates later in life, particularly after age 70.

Legal abortion and lifelong health

This study examines the long-term health benefits of early-life exposure to legal abortion.