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Writer's pictureJason Beck

No link found between prenatal cannabis use and childhood developmental delay

A recent study published in *JAMA Network Open* found no association between maternal prenatal cannabis use and early developmental delays in children up to 5.5 years old.



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This finding offers new insights amid rising cannabis use in the U.S. due to increasing legalization and accessibility, which has raised questions about its potential impact on child development.


Study Overview


The research, conducted by Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), involved a retrospective birth cohort study of 119,976 pregnancies from January 2015 to December 2019. Participants had at least one prenatal care visit and were members of the KPNC health plan throughout the pregnancy. Researchers analyzed maternal cannabis use during early pregnancy, defined as cannabis use since pregnancy self-reported by the mother or detected through urine toxicology tests.


Key Findings


Results indicated no significant association between maternal prenatal cannabis use and increased risks of developmental delays in speech and language, motor skills, or global developmental development. Specifically:


- Speech and Language Disorders**: The study reported a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.01 for these disorders, which decreased to 0.93 after adjusting for maternal demographics, indicating no significant risk increase.


- Global Developmental Delay**: Initial data suggested a modest association (HR 1.38), but this was reduced to 1.08 after adjusting for maternal characteristics.


- Motor Delay**: Researchers noted a slight inverse association, with HR initially at 0.84, which adjusted to 0.86 after accounting for confounders, indicating no increased risk.


In sensitivity analyses, no associations were found when evaluating cannabis exposure through self-reports or toxicology.


Study Implications and Recommendations


These findings contribute to an emerging body of research suggesting that early pregnancy cannabis use might not significantly impact key childhood developmental milestones.


However, the study authors recommend further investigation into cannabis use throughout pregnancy to better understand its potential effects on child development and factors that might mitigate adverse outcomes.

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