Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Linked to More Severe Form of a Serious Birth Defect
Maternal cannabis use was associated with 2.6 times higher odds of complex gastroschisis (the more severe form with bowel complications) compared to simple gastroschisis, suggesting it may worsen this birth defect.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
After adjusting for other substance exposures, cannabis use was associated with complex gastroschisis (adjusted OR=2.64), and recurrent urinary tract infections showed an even stronger association (RaR=3.78) — both identified as potentially modifiable risk factors.
Key Numbers
194 cases total (80% simple, 20% complex); adjusted OR for cannabis: 2.64; recurrent UTI rate ratio: 3.78; no significant effect from smoking, narcotics, alcohol alone.
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of 194 gastroschisis cases (155 simple, 39 complex) at a tertiary hospital from 1991-2022, comparing maternal risk factors between simple and complex forms using logistic and Poisson regression.
Why This Research Matters
Gastroschisis is increasing globally, and while we know what predisposes to it, we didn't know what makes some cases more severe — cannabis exposure may be a modifiable factor that worsens outcomes.
The Bigger Picture
This is unique because it looks at severity, not just occurrence — even if cannabis doesn't cause gastroschisis, it may worsen outcomes by promoting bowel complications like necrosis and atresia.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small number of complex cases (n=39); single-center retrospective design; substance use from medical records likely underreported; cannot establish causation.
Questions This Raises
- ?Through what mechanism might cannabis exposure promote bowel complications in gastroschisis?
- ?Would these findings replicate in larger multi-center studies?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Small single-center retrospective study with limited complex cases; associations are suggestive but require larger multi-center validation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2026 using 30+ years of data (1991-2022), one of the first studies to examine risk factors for gastroschisis severity.
- Original Title:
- Maternal risk factors associated with complex gastroschisis: Cannabis exposure and recurrent urinary tract infections may be modifiable targets.
- Published In:
- Journal of pediatric surgery, 163000 (2026)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08097
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is gastroschisis?
Gastroschisis is a birth defect where the baby's intestines protrude through an opening in the abdominal wall. The 'complex' form involves additional bowel damage like necrosis or atresia, requiring more extensive surgery.
Can cannabis use during pregnancy cause birth defects?
This study didn't find cannabis caused gastroschisis, but among babies who had it, maternal cannabis use was linked to 2.6x higher odds of the more severe complex form with bowel complications.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08097APA
Awolaran, Olugbenga; MacGregor, Kaitlyn; Lum Min, Suyin A; Keijzer, Richard. (2026). Maternal risk factors associated with complex gastroschisis: Cannabis exposure and recurrent urinary tract infections may be modifiable targets.. Journal of pediatric surgery, 163000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2026.163000
MLA
Awolaran, Olugbenga, et al. "Maternal risk factors associated with complex gastroschisis: Cannabis exposure and recurrent urinary tract infections may be modifiable targets.." Journal of pediatric surgery, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2026.163000
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Maternal risk factors associated with complex gastroschisis:..." RTHC-08097. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/awolaran-2026-maternal-risk-factors-associated
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.