We examine the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on child academic achievement. We use a genetic variant in the maternal alcohol‐metabolism gene ADH1B 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.
Authors
Research Fellow University of Bristol
Stephanie is a Reader in Economics at the University of Bristol and an Endowed Professor of Health Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
George Wehby
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Luisa Zuccolo
![Person graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/square_desktop/public/2022-06/IFS-person-graphic.png?itok=hWCtTSrz)
Sarah Lewis
Journal article details
- Publisher
- The Economic Journal
- Issue
- May 2014
Suggested citation
Lewis, S et al. (2014). 'Alcohol exposure In utero and child academic achievement' (2014)
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