University of Queensland researchers tracked alcohol related disorders of children through adulthood as part of one of the world's longest health studies.
The study participants included 2,551 mothers and their children at six months, five, 14 and 21 years of age.
Dr. Rosa Alati, lead researcher in the study, says teenage children of mothers who had one or more drinks a day throughout their lives were more than two times likely to develop a drinking problem in young adulthood.
According to the study, maternal depression and early teenage behavior, such as aggression and delinquency, increased the risk of alcohol disorders in young adults.
"The good news is that there is no need to intervene at a very early age to prevent alcohol problems later on," says Dr Alati.
