A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found cohesive links between prenatal cannabis use and poor thinking skills, lack of impulse control, issues with planning and paying attention and an increase in aggressive behavior among preschool-aged children.
The study, which researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital spearheaded, offers a crucial glimpse into the ways that prenatal consumption of marijuana impacted the lives of children. While products from a dispensary are legally required to be equipped with a warning from the Arizona Department of Health Services, that of which warns users of the risks of consuming cannabis while pregnant, prenatal exposures to cannabis do occur, the risks of which are becoming clearer through research.
“Our findings were not surprising — they actually confirm and expand on longstanding evidence from previous research,” said Sarah Keim, Ph.D., principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s, and lead author of the study, in a recent press release. "With our more contemporary and diverse sample of women and children, and with much higher potency of cannabis now than in past decades, this study validates previous research and supports existing clinical recommendations for patients."
According to the study, 250 children were examined from 2016 to 2020. Out of the 250 children, 80 had been exposed to cannabis before they were born. Similarly, 22% to 39% had been exposed to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Behavior was evaluated through a variety of assessments, such as asking parents about behavior patterns and evaluating how the children responded to tasks pertaining to things like emotional regulation and problem-solving; ultimately concluding that “prenatal cannabis exposure may be associated in early childhood with worse executive functions and more aggressive behavior, which play a critical role in academic success and adaptive behavior.”
“Although cannabis is a natural product, there are still many risks to using it during pregnancy," Keim said. “Some women may turn to cannabis to help deal with some common issues of pregnancy, including nausea, sleep problems and stress. This is not recommended. Consulting with a health care provider to find safer options to help with these issues during pregnancy is important," Stein continued.
The study also noted that while these findings were not necessarily surprising, they instead confirmed what many experts already feared: consuming cannabis while pregnant is a risk and may hinder crucial components of childhood development.
