The effect of rainfall shocks on early childhood development in Uganda

Shocks faced in early life have been linked with persistent inequalities in long-term health and economic outcomes. This paper studies the link between seasonal rainfall shocks and early childhood development in rural Uganda. The results indicate that rainfall shocks during the Ugandan harvest season in the in-utero period and first year of life are positively associated with the cognitive and non-cognitive development of 3- to 5-year-old children. This contributes to the literature on the persistence of economic inequalities caused by adversities in early life.