ANEW report claims mothers who work full-time before their children reach school age could harm their offspring’s future prospects. Tracking people born in the 1970s, the research showed that those whose mothers worked full-time for about half the periodbetween ages one and five were less likely to gain A-levels. The Institute for Social and Economic Research, which carried out the study for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said its findings backed the Government’s support for parental leave.