Pubdate: Mon, 30 Dec 2002
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Section: Health Roundup
Copyright: 2002 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Karen Patterson

DAD'S DRINKING PATTERN HOLDS CLUES ABOUT KIDS

The maximum number of drinks a father has ever consumed in a day can signal 
certain behavioral and substance-abuse problems in the man's children, a 
new study has found. The study, by researchers at the University of 
Minnesota, examined whether a man's maximum alcohol consumption on one 
occasion can predict such traits in his children independent of whether the 
man is actually an alcoholic. The researchers focused on some 1,300 pairs 
of twins in two age groups (roughly 11 and 17 years old), along with their 
parents. Substance use data for the younger group were collected during a 
follow-up when the children were about 14.

The fathers who drank the most in a 24-hour period were more likely to have 
children with conduct disorders and who showed signs of nicotine, alcohol 
or illegal-drug use, the researchers found. In addition, daughters of 
alcoholic fathers were at greatest risk of a diagnosis of conduct disorder.

Asking about someone's peak alcohol consumption may actually reflect a 
broader drinking history, the researchers note in the December issue of 
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "Although the question asks 
about a single occasion, that occasion may well reflect a history of 
excessive drinking or increased risk by virtue of decreased sensitivity to 
alcohol."
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