STUDY REVEALS MOTHER'S DRINKING RISKS CHILD'S IQ.(Living Today)

Byline: William M. Dowd Managing editor/features

The threat to fetal health from expectant mothers who drink alcohol has long been known. Now, a study reveals that even moderate drinking during pregnancy can reduce a child's intelligence quotient (IQ).

A University of Washington at Seattle research team, led by psychologist Ann P. Streissguth, studied 421 children and their mothers - who said they had at least three drinks a week during the pregnancy. The children scored nearly five points below the average in a standard IQ test for their group.

This dropoff held up even when the researchers took into account a variety of factors that might also …