Assessing the Optimal Length of Parental Leave for Child and Parental Well-Being

Abstract

Parental leave is a complex area of public policy. Concerns include health protection for working mothers, equal employment opportunities for women, access to adequate antenatal and birthing care, maternal recovery, optimal nutrition for infants, and gender equality within families. Given this complexity, the design of parental leave schemes, including the optimal length of leave, should ideally be based on research from a wide range of disciplines. Yet research literature generally focuses on single issues. In this article, the focus is widened to encompass mothers’ labor market outcomes, concerns surrounding childbirth and maternal recovery, parent-infant bonding, children’s cognitive development, breastfeeding, and associated with each of these, gender equity objectives. In light of information from a wide range of disciplines and based on two country models, Sweden and the United States, it is proposed that discussions about parental leave policy, including the appropriate length of leave, should take a broad, interdisciplinary perspective.