Cannabis exposure during pregnancy could be altering the behaviour of young children

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-10-29 02:00

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Children who were exposed to cannabis in the womb may be more likely to have behavioural issues, according to international research. The team assessed the capability and behaviour of 250 five-year-olds whose mothers had participated in pregnancy research. According to urine tests and surveys, 80 of the children had been exposed to cannabis in the womb. The researchers say the children who had pre-birth cannabis exposure scored slightly lower for self-control and attention, showed poorer task-based planning ability and showed more aggression compared to those who had not been exposed to cannabis before birth. The researchers say this information could be used to inform recommendations around cannabis use during pregnancy.

Media release

From: JAMA

About The Study: Results from this contemporary U.S. cohort where prenatal cannabis exposure was common and indicated that exposed children exhibited some differences in aspects of executive function and behavior relevant to long-term academic success and adaptive functioning. These results may be considered in refining clinical recommendations regarding cannabis use during pregnancy.

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Research JAMA, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JAMA Pediatrics

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Nationwide Children’s Hospital, USA

Funder: This work was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA, R01DA042948]; the March of Dimes Foundation [grant #6-FY16-160]; and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences/National Institutes of Health [UL1TR001070].

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