A new GLO Discussion Paper presents a model where better-off individuals mate genetically close partners, and then use wealth to treat their children’s health problems.
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GLO Discussion Paper No. 619, 2020
Health Economics of Genetic Distance – Download PDF
by Jelnov, Pavel
GLO Fellow Pavel Jelnov
Author Abstract: In this note, I address the trade-off between children’s health and parental preference toward similarity with children. In my model, better-off individuals mate genetically close partners and then use wealth to treat their children’s health problems, caused by inbreeding depression. As a result, the relationship between parental wealth and children’s health includes decreasing portions. Siblings health inequality is also nonmonotonically related to parental wealth, if parents discriminate in favor of more similar children.
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