SCW NEWSWATCH: "Maternal cannabis use in pregnancy and child neurodevelopmental outcome" - Nature 8.10.20
"Cannabis use in pregnancy has increased[] and many women continue to use it throughout pregnancy[]. With the legalization of recreational cannabis in many jurisdictions, there is concern about potentially adverse childhood outcomes related to prenatal exposure[]. ... We ... examine[d] associations between prenatal cannabis use and child neurodevelopment. We find an association between maternal cannabis use in pregnancy and the incidence of autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. The incidence of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis was 4.00 per 1,000 person-years among children with exposure compared to 2.42 among unexposed children .... The incidence of intellectual disability and learning disorders was higher among offspring of mothers who use cannabis in pregnancy, although less statistically robust. We emphasize a cautious interpretation of these findings ...."