The Effect of Expanding Paid Maternity Leave on Maternal Health: Evidence From the United States Air Force & Army

Abstract

We assess the impact of fully paid maternity leave on maternal health in the year after birth. We exploit a sudden expansion of paid leave from 6 to 12 weeks in the United States Army and Air Force to estimate impacts under regression discontinuity and difference in differences frameworks. Administrative records covering medical diagnoses, procedures, and utilization by mothers allow for comprehensive measurement of changes in both direct health outcomes and utilization. Our main finding is that expanding maternity leave significantly decreased the likelihood of postpartum depression diagnosis. We additionally provide evidence that expanding leave reduced mothers' pain and health care utilization, however, these results are somewhat sensitive to specification choice. Across all outcomes, improvements in maternal health are concentrated in the period of additional leave, making it unlikely that improved health capital is the primary mechanism through which family leave improves maternal health.