Parental alcohol supply in early childhood may increase the risk of alcohol use in late adolescence. This study examined its longitudinal impact and the distinct roles of mothers’ and fathers’ drinking.

We studied 1,891 mother–child pairs from the Czech European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. Mothers reported parental alcohol supply at ages 3, 5, 7, and 11 years, while adolescent alcohol use was reported by mothers, pediatricians, and youth at ages 18 and 19 years. Structural equation modeling assessed the longitudinal link between early alcohol supply (three classes: none, occasional, and frequent) and adolescent alcohol use, accounting for parental drinking and covariates, including the child’s sex, mother’s education, and family structure.

Alcohol supply began in early childhood, with 14% of children exposed by age 3 and around 20% by age 11. By age 19, one-third of individuals reported frequent alcohol use. Adolescents’ alcohol use was associated with concurrent mothers’, but not fathers’ alcohol use (β = .24, p < .001). Early alcohol supply predicted higher adolescent use for both occasional (β = .14, p = .041) and frequent (β = .22, p = .005) classes. Mothers’ and fathers’ alcohol use at 6 months was associated with frequent alcohol supply, and fathers’ alcohol use was also associated with occasional alcohol supply. Significant indirect effects were found from early parental drinking to adolescent use via these classes.

Public health messaging should emphasize the risks of early alcohol consumption, including its potential harm to the developing brain.

Maternal alcohol consumption can adversely affect children’s development, but the impact of paternal drinking is less understood. We aimed to investigate whether maternal or paternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy affected children’s mental health and behavior.

A total of 2,013 parent–child triads from the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood cohort were used. Data on alcohol consumption was obtained from questionnaires during pregnancy and after the child’s birth. Mental health and behavior of children were assessed with Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The associations were tested using linear regression, adjusting for socio-demographic and psychosocial covariates.

Increased maternal alcohol consumption was associated with higher total SDQ scores at ages 7, 11, and 18 years old when the outcomes were reported by mothers, but only at 11 years when reported by children. We did not observe any dose–response relationship, and the effect size did not change during the follow-up. The effects were observed across various domains of SDQ: in the emotional symptoms subscale at age 11, in the conduct problems subscale at ages 7 and 11, and in the hyperactivity/inattention subscale at age 18. Paternal alcohol consumption was not associated with SDQ.

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with long-term effects on children’s mental health and behavior, particularly when reported by mothers. No association was found between paternal alcohol consumption, suggesting that the results may stem from biological effects of alcohol or other factors beyond the direct exposure, potentially encompassing broader maternal psychosocial or behavioral characteristics.