Cannabis-Usage During Pregnancy Linked to Aggression, Academic Failures in Children: Study

Using cannabis to deal with pregnancy issues such as stress and sleep problems is not recommended, said a researcher.

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Unborn babies exposed to cannabis from mothers could end up experiencing increased aggression at 5 years of age along with other adverse developmental impacts, according to a new study.

The peer-reviewed study, published in JAMA Pediatrics on Oct. 28, investigated how cannabis use among pregnant women affected children. In their analysis, researchers studied data from 355 pregnant women who planned to give birth at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. When the children were 5 years old, researchers contacted the families to collect additional relevant data.

Out of the 250 children who participated, 80 of them were exposed to cannabis during the prenatal stage. “Use of tobacco, other drugs, and alcohol during pregnancy was common (22 percent to 39% each). Most families were living in poverty,” the study said.

Among exposed children, scores for attention and inhibitory control were lower than their peers.

“Exposed children also exhibited poorer task-based planning ability and more observed aggression,” the study said.

These traits were expected to affect the long-term academic success of the children, the study stated.

Results of the study may be taken into consideration for clinical recommendations regarding the use of cannabis by pregnant women, researchers concluded.

Principal investigator Sarah Keim noted that although cannabis is a natural product, the substance poses “many risks” during pregnancy, according to an Oct. 28 statement.

Some women could resort to cannabis to deal with challenges faced during pregnancy such as stress, sleep problems, and nausea. However, “this is not recommended,” Keim said, while advising pregnant women to consult a health care provider to find safer options to deal with such issues.

“Our findings were not surprising—they actually confirm and expand on longstanding evidence from previous research,” Keim stated.

“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.”

Harms of Cannabis

Multiple studies have pointed to the harms posed by cannabis to both pregnant women and their babies. A July study found that prenatal marijuana use was linked to a higher likelihood of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia—a potentially fatal condition in which the person experiences high blood pressure, severe swelling, and protein in the urine.

Researchers also identified a 19 percent higher risk that the placenta in these women could separate from the uterus.

“As we continue to learn about the potential harms and benefits of prenatal cannabis use, clinicians must provide coordinated, non-stigmatizing care and education to support pregnant individuals in making informed decisions about cannabis use,” the study’s authors said.

Another study from July 2023 found that the use of cannabis could end up adversely affecting the development of a fetus’s brain and likely hinder the healthy growth of testes in male babies.

Researchers examined cannabis’s effects on fetuses by using mice. Fetal exposure to cannabis reduced the ability of mice’s prefrontal cortex to be readily roused into action. The prefrontal cortex is crucial for learning. Among female offspring, cognitive impairments were detected.

Cannabis may also pose a higher mortality risk for babies. A May analysis of more than 3 million pregnant women with documented use of cannabis and nicotine during the pregnancy period found that their infants had a higher rate of death within the first 28 days of life than women who did not use these substances.

“Our findings suggest that avoiding use of just one of these substances can decrease the pregnancy risks we see when both substances are used together, which is a critical piece of information providers can highlight when counseling patients,” said Dr. Adam Crosland, lead author of the study.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warns that cannabis use can be harmful to the fetus “no matter how you use it,” whether it be through vaping, smoking, drinking, or applying creams to the skin.

Chemicals such as tetrahydrocannabinol present in cannabis can pass through the mother’s body into the baby and harm the child’s development, the agency said.

“It is recommended that pregnant persons do not use cannabis,” the CDC said.