We estimate the impact of exposure to conflict on health outcomes using geographic
information on households’ distance from conflict sites — a more accurate measure of shock
exposure — and compare the impact on children exposed in utero versus after birth. The
identification strategy relies on exogenous variation in the conflict’s geographic extent and
timing. Conflict-exposed children have lower height-for-age, and impacts using GPS
information are 2-3 times larger than if exposure is measured at the imprecise regional level.
Results are robust to addressing endogenous migration. Health service disruptions and
maternal stressors are potential explanations for the negative health effects on children.