Publications

Nutrition and early childhood development

• "Impacts of a Large-Scale Parenting Program: Experimental Evidence from Chile"  (2024) with Pedro Carneiro, Italo Lopez Garcia, Paula Bedregal, Miguel Cordero, Journal of Political Economy, 132(4): 1113-61. 

  • [Previous versions available as World Bank Policy Research Working Paper no. 8743, HCEO Working Paper 2019-051]

• “Preventive small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements reduce severe wasting and severe stunting among young children: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials” (2022) with Kathryn Dewey, Ryan Wessells, Charles Arnold, Elizabeth Prado, Christine Stewart et al, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 116(5): 1314-33.

• “Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child growth: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials” (2021), with Kathryn Dewey, Ryan Wessells, Charles Arnold, Elizabeth Prado, Christine Stewart et al, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 114, S(1): 15S–42S  

  • Commentary: Aguayo, V.M., Baker, S.K., Dewey, K.G. et al. (2023) "Benefits of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for child nutrition and survival warrant moving to scale". Nature Food

  • Commentary:  Dewey, K.G. et al (2023) "Why small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements should be integrated into comprehensive strategies to prevent child undernutrition in nutritionally vulnerable populations: response to Gupta et al.’s commentary", World Nutrition

• “Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for children age 6-24 months: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of effects on developmental outcomes and effect modifiers” (2021), with Elizabeth Prado, Kathryn Dewey, Ryan Wessells, Charles Arnold, Christine Stewart et al, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 114, S(1): 43S–67S 

• “Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child anemia and micronutrient status: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials” (2021), with Ryan Wessells, Elizabeth Prado, Kathryn Dewey, Charles Arnold, Christine Stewart et al, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 114, S(1):  68S–94S

• "Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplementation Reduces Child Anemia and Increases Micronutrient Status in Madagascar: A Multiarm Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial” (2020) with Lia Fernald, Ann Weber, Christine Stewart and Charles Arnold, The Journal of Nutrition, 150(1)

• "Caregiver perceptions of child development in rural Madagascar: a cross-sectional study" (2019), with Esther Chung, Lia Fernald, Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana, Ann Weber, BMC Public Health, 19:1256

• "Effects of nutritional supplementation and home visiting on growth and development in young children in Madagascar: a cluster-randomised controlled trial" (2019), with Lia Fernald, Christine Stewart, Ann. Weber and Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana, The Lancet Global Health, 7: e1257–68 

  • • study protocol: “A cluster-randomized, controlled trial of nutritional supplementation and promotion of responsive parenting in Madagascar: the MAHAY study design and rationale” (2016), with Lia  Fernald, Jumana  Qamruddin, Christian Ranaivoson, Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana, Christine Stewart and Ann Weber, BMC Public Health, 16:466 

    • Commentary, SIEF evidence to policy note

• “The Aggregate Income Losses from Childhood Stunting and the Returns to a Nutrition Intervention Aimed at Reducing Stunting” (2019), with Adam Wagstaff, Economics and Human Biology, 34: 225-38.

• “The Perils of Scaling-Up: Effects of Expanding an Integrated Nutrition Program in Madagascar” (2019), with Lia Fernald, Ann Weber, Maternal & Child Nutrition, 15(S1). e12715

• “Dynamics of child development: Analysis of a longitudinal cohort in a very low income country” (2019) with Lia Fernald, Ann Weber,  World Bank Economic Review, 33(1), 140-159.

• “Performance of a Receptive Language Test among Young Children in Madagascar” (2015) with Lia Fernald, Ann Weber and Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana,  PLoS ONE 10(4).

• “Socio-economic gradients and child development in a very low income country: evidence from Madagascar" (2011), with Lia Fernald, Ann Weber and Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana, Developmental Science, 14(4), 832-47.

•  “Nutritional Gains from Extended Exposure to a Large Scale Nutrition Programme” (2011), with Nithin Umapathi and Jeffrey Yau, Journal of African Economies, 25(4).

• “Improving Nutritional Status through Behavioral Change: Lessons from Madagascar” (2009), with Nithin Umapathi, Journal of Development Effectiveness, 1(1), 60-85.

Social Protection

“Shared Prosperity: Concepts, Data, and Some Policy Examples” (2020), with Francisco H.G. Ferreira and Mario Negre, The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance. Oxford University Press.

• "Tackling Social Exclusion: evidence from Chile” (2018), with Pedro Carneiro and Rita Ginja, The Economic Journal, 129(617), 172–208. 

  • • SIEF evidence to policy Note  

• “Direct and Indirect Effects of Malawi’s Public Works Program on Food Security” (2017), with Kathleen Beegle and Jessica Goldberg, Journal of Development Economics, 128, 1-23.

•  “Alleviating extreme poverty in Chile: the short term effects of Chile Solidario” (2011), Estudios de Economia  38(1), 101-25.

• “Jumpstarting Self-Employment? Evidence among Welfare Participants in Argentina” (2010), with Rita Almeida, World Development, 38(5), 742-55.

• “What Can Ex-participants Reveal About a Program's Impact?” (2005), with Martin Ravallion, Teodoro Lazo and Ernesto Phillip, Journal of Human Resources, 40(1), pp. 208-230.

• “Decentralized Targeting of an Anti-Poverty Program” (2005), with Martin Ravallion, Journal of Public Economics 89(4), 705-727.

• “Social Protection in a Crisis” (2004), with Martin Ravallion, World Bank Economic Review, 18(3), pp. 367 –399.

• “Assisting the Transition from Workfare to Work :A Randomized Experiment” (2002), with Martin Ravallion and Augustin Salvia, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 58(1), pp. 128-42.

Book Chapters and Reports

• “The Economic Costs of Stunting and How to Reduce Them” (2017), joint with Adam Wagstaff, Sophie Naudeau and Meera Shekar,  Policy Research Note PRN/16/05. 

• "Early Childhood Development” (2015) chapter 5 in World Development Report 2015: Mind, Society and Behavior 

• "What Can be Learned from Project Monitoring Data? Lessons from a Nutrition Program in Madagascar”  (2008) chapter in Are You Being Served? New Tools for Measuring Services Delivery, A. Samia, M. Goldstein and J. Das eds, The World Bank 

Work in Progress

• "Spillovers in Social Program Participation: Evidence from Chile", with Pedro Carneiro, Barbara Flores,  Aureo de Paula, Lucy Kraftman and Rita Ginja.

• "Heterogenous Quality in Delivery of Welfare: Evidence from Social Workers in Chile" with Pedro Carneiro, Barbara Flores, Rita Ginja, and Lucy Kraftman. 

• "Women at work: evidence from a randomized experiment in urban Djibouti". with Florencia Devoto, Kathleen Beegle and Stefanie Brodmann,  submitted

• study protocol:  “Integrating Early Stimulation and Play at Scale: study protocol for “MAHAY Mikolo” a multi-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial”, (2022) with Caitlin Barkume, Mathilde Col, Maria Dieci, Lia Fernald, Lisy Ratsifandrihamanana, Valerie Rambeloson, Norotiana Rakotomalala   Ann Weber, AEARCTR-0004704  BMC Public Health 22, 265 

Permanent working papers

• “Private Transfers in a Cross-Section of Developing Countries” (2006), with Donald Cox and Emmanuel Jimenez, Center for Retirement Research, Working Paper 2006-2, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA

• “Intra-household Allocations and Child Labor in Indonesia” (2000), Working Paper, Boston College, MA