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BERKELEY — Tropical cyclones hitting the Philippines inflict more and longer-lasting economic loss than generally recognized, and are linked to dramatic increases in mortality rates for infant girls for up to 24 months after a typhoon, according to a study co-authored by a UC Berkeley assistant professor of public policy.
The research examines the aftermath of typhoons that have struck the Philippines over the last 25 years and was conducted by economists Solomon Hsiang at UC Berkeley and Jesse Anttila-Hughes of the University of San Francisco. The results may offer guidance for a wide range of post-disaster recovery efforts in the spotlight since the record-strength Typhoon Haiyan struck the islands on November 8.
The economists found that while officials report roughly 740 deaths on average every year due to typhoon exposure in the Philippines, post-typhoon mortality among baby girls is approximately 15 times higher than that, likely due to the indirect poverty-worsening effects of the storm. Because the Philippines is so hard hit by typhoons every year, the authors estimate that these delayed infant deaths account for approximately 13% of the country’s overall infant mortality rate.
The risk of a baby girl dying after a typhoon doubles if she has older sisters in the home, and the risk doubles again if the she has older brothers – suggesting that the competition for resources among siblings may play a key role in these deaths. The researchers did not find a spike in the mortality rates for baby boys, but they uncovered an elevated mortality risk among baby girls that lasts up to two years after a typhoon.
“It seems unlikely that the households in which female infants die are intentionally allowing these infants to perish,” the researchers report. “It is more plausible that parents believe their newborn can cope with higher-than-average levels of neglect, and that there will be limited permanent damage. Unfortunately, for a small number of unlucky families, the assumption proves false.”
The authors also speculate that parents may provide more or different food or care to baby boys than girls, perhaps unconsciously.
Hsiang and Anttila-Hughes said that the high death rate for baby girls is probably the specific result of the economic aftermath that follows a typhoon’s destruction and the coping strategies used by families that struggle economically for months or years after a typhoon.The researchers document how families dramatically reduce spending on healthcare, education and nutritious foods for years after they lose their homes, property, infrastructure and income.
“Infants are more fragile than other family members, and some can’t handle it when families cut back. Their health deteriorates gradually, and then one day, they just don’t pull through,” said Hsiang. “We think that economic factors are key, because roughly half of the baby girls who die weren’t even born or conceived when the various storms hit.”
