title: Alcohol ExposureIn Uteroand Child Academic Achievement.
abstract: We examine the effect of alcohol exposurein uteroon child academic achievement. As well as studying the effect ofanyalcohol exposure, we investigate the effect of thedose, pattern, anddurationof exposure. We use a genetic variant in the maternal alcohol-metabolism geneADH1Bas an 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 maternal and paternal characteristics and behaviours. OLS regressions suggest an ambiguous association between alcohol exposurein uteroand children's academic attainment, but there is a strong social gradient in maternal drinking, with mothers in higher socio-economic groups more likely to drink. In stark contrast to the OLS, the IV estimates show negative effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on child educational attainment. These results are very robust to an extensive set of model specifications. In addition, we show that that the effects are solely driven by the maternal genotype, with no impact of the child's genotype.
authors.affiliation: University of York, Department of Economics and Related Studies, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Hinke Kessler Scholder
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa.
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wehby
authors.affiliation: MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zuccolo
keywords: ALSPAC; Academic achievement; Mendelian randomization; prenatal alcohol exposure