This study uses linked administrative data on live births, hospital stays, and census
records for children born in Hungary between 2006 and 2011 to examine the relationship
between poor housing quality and the health of newborns and children aged 1–2 years.
We show that poor housing quality, defined as lack of access to basic sanitation and
exposure to polluting heating, is not a negligible problem even in a high-income EU
country like Hungary. This is particularly the case for disadvantaged children, 20–25%
of whom live in extremely poor-quality homes. Next, we provide evidence that poor
housing quality is strongly associated with lower health at birth and a higher number
of days spent in inpatient care at the age of 1–2 years. These results indicate that
lack of access to basic sanitation, hygiene, and non-polluting heating and their health
impacts cannot be considered as the exclusive problem for low- and middle-income countries.
In high-income countries, there is also a need for public policy programs that identify
those affected by poor housing quality and offer them potential solutions to reduce
the adverse effects on their health.
