Camila Regueiro-Ons is a doctoral researcher at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where she is pursuing her PhD in the field of Health Economics and Public Policy. Her work focuses on topics such as healthcare economics, gender economics, and the labor market. She has contributed to publications addressing the challenges faced by the healthcare system in the context of demographic change and takes part in academic projects aimed at understanding and improving public policies.

Abstract:

This paper examines the effects of paternity leave on maternal postpartum health. Using administrative data and a difference-in-discontinuities design, we compare mothers in households with likely eligible fathers to comparable control groups, accounting for seasonal variation around the implementation cutoffs. The results show limited effects on overall healthcare use and physical health during the first nine months after childbirth. However, we find suggestive evidence of significant improvements in maternal mental health following the most recent expansion of paternity leave. A better labor market attachment seems to be one potential mechanism.