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Alcohol Exposure In Utero and Child Academic Achievement

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Listed:
  • Stephanie Hinke Kessler Scholder
  • George L. Wehby
  • Sarah Lewis
  • Luisa Zuccolo

Abstract

We examine the effect of alcohol exposure in utero on child academic achievement. As well as studying the effect of any alcohol exposure, we investigate the effect of the dose, pattern, and duration of exposure. We use a genetic variant in the maternal alcohol-metabolism gene ADH1B as 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 exposure in utero and 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.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Stephanie Hinke Kessler Scholder & George L. Wehby & Sarah Lewis & Luisa Zuccolo, 2014. "Alcohol Exposure In Utero and Child Academic Achievement," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 0(576), pages 634-667, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:econjl:v::y:2014:i:576:p:634-667
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ecoj.2014.124.issue-576
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    Cited by:

    1. Michaela Benzeval & Edith Aguirre & Meena Kumari, 2023. "Understanding Society: health, biomarker and genetic data," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 399-415, December.
    2. Nicola Barban & Elisabetta De Cao & Sonia Oreffice & Climent Quintana-Domeque, 2016. "Assortative Mating on Education: A Genetic Assessment," Working Papers 2016-034, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    3. Ruijun Hou & Samuel Baker & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans H. Sievertsen & Emil S{o}rensen & Nicolai Vitt, 2025. "Long-term Health and Human Capital Effects of Early-Life Economic Conditions," Papers 2507.08159, arXiv.org.
    4. von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2023. "The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Greve, Jane & Schultz-Nielsen, Marie Louise & Tekin, Erdal, 2017. "Fetal malnutrition and academic success: Evidence from Muslim immigrants in Denmark," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 20-35.
    6. Guo, Rufei & Zhang, Junsen & Zhang, Ning, 2022. "How does birth endowment affect individual resilience to an adolescent adversity?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 251-265.
    7. Jia Wu & Jiada Lin & Xiao Han, 2023. "Compensation for girls in early childhood and its long-run impact: family investment strategies under rainfall shocks," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 1225-1268, July.
    8. Beuermann, Diether W. & Pecha, Camilo J., 2020. "The effects of weather shocks on early childhood development: Evidence from 25 years of tropical storms in Jamaica," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    9. Marcus Munafò & Neil M. Davies & George Davey Smith, 2020. "Can genetics reveal the causes and consequences of educational attainment?," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 183(2), pages 681-688, February.
    10. Victor Lavy & Analia Schlosser & Adi Shany, 2016. "Out of Africa: Human Capital Consequences of In Utero Conditions," NBER Working Papers 21894, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Padraig Dixon & George Davey Smith & Stephanie von Hinke & Neil M. Davies & William Hollingworth, 2016. "Estimating Marginal Healthcare Costs Using Genetic Variants as Instrumental Variables: Mendelian Randomization in Economic Evaluation," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 34(11), pages 1075-1086, November.
    12. Lucie Schmidt & Lara Shore‐Sheppard & Tara Watson, 2023. "The Effect of Safety Net Generosity on Maternal Mental Health and Risky Health Behaviors," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(3), pages 706-736, June.
    13. Grönqvist, Erik & Norén, Anna & Sjögren, Anna & Svaleryd, Helena, 2017. "Auditing mothers: The effect of targeted alcohol prevention on infant Health and maternal behavior," Working Paper Series 2017:19, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    14. Mangiavacchi, Lucia & Piccoli, Luca & Stillman, Steven, 2025. "Casting a Long Shadow: How Parental Risky Behaviors Impair Child Development in Russia," IZA Discussion Papers 18242, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Barban, Nicola & De Cao, Elisabetta & Oreffice, Sonia & Quintana-Domeque, Climent, 2021. "The effect of education on spousal education: A genetic approach," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    16. von Hinke, Stephanie & Davey Smith, George & Lawlor, Debbie A. & Propper, Carol & Windmeijer, Frank, 2016. "Genetic markers as instrumental variables," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 131-148.
    17. Dixon, Padraig & Hollingworth, William & Harrison, Sean & Davies, Neil M. & Davey Smith, George, 2020. "Mendelian Randomization analysis of the causal effect of adiposity on hospital costs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    18. Francis-Tan, Andrew & Tan, Cheryl & Zhang, Ruhan, 2018. "School spirit: Exploring the long-term effects of the U.S. temperance movement on educational attainment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 162-169.
    19. Daiji Kawaguchi & Jungmin Lee & Ming‐Jen Lin & Izumi Yokoyama, 2023. "Is Asian flushing syndrome a disadvantage in the labor market?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(7), pages 1478-1503, July.
    20. Dagnelie, Olivier & Luca, Giacomo Davide De & Maystadt, Jean-François, 2018. "Violence, selection and infant mortality in Congo," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 153-177.
    21. Guthridge, Steve & Schurer, Stefanie & Taylor, Paige J., 2025. "Minimum Unit Pricing, Alcohol Consumption and Infant Health: Evidence from the Alice Springs Liquor Supply Plan," IZA Discussion Papers 18201, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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