Open AccessAlcohol Exposure In Utero and Child Academic Achievement
Author(s) -
Hinke Kessler Scholder Stephanie,
Wehby George L.,
Lewis Sarah,
Zuccolo Luisa
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the economic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.683
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1468-0297
pISSN - 0013-0133
DOI - 10.1111/ecoj.12144
Subject(s) - in utero , prenatal alcohol exposure , alcohol , educational attainment , developmental psychology , psychology , genotype , medicine , pregnancy , physiology , demography , biology , genetics , fetus , biochemistry , gene , sociology , economics , economic growth
We examine the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on child academic achievement. We use a genetic variant in the maternal alcohol‐metabolism gene ADH 1B to instrument for alcohol exposure, whilst controlling for the child's genotype on the same variant. We show that the instrument is unrelated to an extensive range of parental characteristics and behaviour. OLS regressions suggest an ambiguous association between alcohol exposure and attainment but there is a strong social gradient in drinking, with mothers in higher socio‐economic groups more likely to drink. In contrast to the OLS , the IV estimates show clear negative effects of prenatal alcohol exposure.