CNN (9/23, LaMotte) reports maternal use of cannabis during pregnancy “may increase psychotic-like behaviors in children.” Investigators arrived at this conclusion after analyzing “data on 11,489 children who were followed as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development” study, then evaluating “the children’s cognitive and behavior patterns…in middle childhood, around age nine.”
MedPage Today (9/23, D’Ambrosio) reports, “Compared to unexposed children, kids who had an in utero exposure to marijuana were more likely to develop a range of adverse outcomes in childhood, including psychopathology, reduced cognition, and lower brain volume,” the study revealed. What’s more, offspring “exposed after their mothers learned they were pregnant were at a significant risk of psychotic-like experiences, impulsivity and attention issues, and social challenges, the” researchers concluded. The findings were published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Psychiatry.
HealthDay (9/23, Thompson) also covers the study.
Related Links:
— “Using weed during pregnancy linked to psychotic-like behaviors in children, study finds “Sandee LaMotte, CNN, September 23, 2020