Alcohol ExposureIn Uteroand Child Academic Achievement
利用母亲酒精代谢基因ADH1B的遗传变异作为工具变量，研究发现产前酒精暴露对儿童学业成就有负面影响，且该效应仅由母亲基因型驱动。
We examine the effect of alcohol exposure <i>in utero</i> on child academic achievement. As well as studying the effect of <i>any</i> alcohol exposure, we investigate the effect of the <i>dose, pattern</i>, and <i>duration</i> of exposure. We use a genetic variant in the maternal alcohol-metabolism gene <i>ADH1B</i> 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 <i>in utero</i> 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.