Impacts of the 2021 child tax credit advance monthly payments on birth outcomes in the United States: a natural experiment - Takeaways - MDSpire

Impacts of the 2021 child tax credit advance monthly payments on birth outcomes in the United States: a natural experiment

  • By

  • Claire E Margerison

  • Natasha V Pilkauskas

  • Grace Joachim

  • Zhehui Luo

  • Tim Bruckner

  • September 26, 2025

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) provided monthly cash transfers to families, significantly reducing childhood poverty by 30%.

  • 2

    A $1000 increase in CTC during pregnancy was linked to a 0.72 percentage point decrease in small for gestational age births.

  • 3

    The same increase in CTC was associated with a 0.49 percentage point decrease in low birth weight, translating to 6.7% and 8.2% reductions.

  • 4

    The positive effects of CTC on birth outcomes were most pronounced among non-Hispanic White populations compared to foreign-born Hispanic individuals.

  • 5

    This study highlights the potential of cash transfers to improve maternal and infant health, aligning with previous research on similar programs.

Original Source(s)

Impacts of the 2021 child tax credit advance monthly payments on birth outcomes in the United States: a natural experiment

  • by Claire E Margerison, Natasha V Pilkauskas, Grace Joachim, Zhehui Luo, Tim Bruckner

  • September 26, 2025

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