Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Linked With Adolescent Behavioral Problems

Prenatal cannabis exposure following the middle of the first trimester has been linked with attention, social, and behavioral problems as affected children progress into early adolescence.

The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, come from new research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The study, which was conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, a national, long-term study of brain development in children and teens.

Prior research using baseline data from the ABCD Study found a link between prenatal cannabis exposure and behavioral problems in children 9 and 10 years of age.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, cannabis use among pregnant women had risen to 7% in 2017 from 3% in 2002. In the ensuing 2 years, 4.7% of pregnant women reported cannabis use in 2018 and 5.4% in 2019. Past preclinical studies have demonstrated that THC, the main psychoactive substance in cannabis, can cross the placenta, potentially affecting brain development.

Reference

Prenatal cannabis exposure associated with mental disorders in children that persist into early adolescence. News release. National Institutes of Health. September 12, 2022. Accessed September 16, 2022.