Kurzfassung

Maternal diet during pregnancy has been shown to lead to permanent alterations to the physiology of the fetus which can adversely affect health throughout its further life. Few studies have thus far investigated how Ramadan fasting during pregnancy affects the health of the offspring over the life course. In this project, using Indonesian data (Indonesian Family Life Survey wave 3), we show that Muslims who were in utero during a Ramadan have a poorer general health than other Muslims. In...Maternal diet during pregnancy has been shown to lead to permanent alterations to the physiology of the fetus which can adversely affect health throughout its further life. Few studies have thus far investigated how Ramadan fasting during pregnancy affects the health of the offspring over the life course. In this project, using Indonesian data (Indonesian Family Life Survey wave 3), we show that Muslims who were in utero during a Ramadan have a poorer general health than other Muslims. In concurrence with medical theory, this effect increases with the offspring’s age. Older people who had been prenatally exposed also more frequently report symptoms indicative of coronary heart problems and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, exposed Muslims are slightly thinner than unexposed Muslims and those conceived during Ramadan are smaller. Using register data on Key Stage 1 assessments, taken by all children attending English state schools, we demonstrate that seven-year-old Muslim children perform poorer in school if they had been prenatally exposed to Ramadan.» weiterlesen» einklappen