Does Health-Care Consolidation Harm Patients? Evidence from Maternity Ward Closures
We study how closures of maternity wards affect maternal and neonatal health. Using data on all hospital births in Sweden between 1990 and 2004, we compare changes in birth-related outcomes across hospital catchment areas that were differently exposed to ward closures. Our findings show that the closures increased maternal obstetric trauma but also decreased fetal stress and infant trauma among ne