Ramadan fasting, sex-ratio at birth, and birth weight: No effects on Muslim infants born in Germany

摘要

Recent economic studies have shown negative effects of intrauterine exposure to Ramadan on birth outcomes and long-term economic outcomes. I examine the effect of Ramadan fasting on birth weight and the fraction of male births in Germany, which has large and diverse Muslim communities. Using data on 1 million births to Muslim mothers from 1996 to 2010, I find virtually no effect of Ramadan exposure on either outcome. Earlier results from other countries based on smaller samples can therefore not be generalized. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.