Most tweets about marijuana and pregnancy were neutral, but linked sources mostly reported negative health outcomes
A content analysis of 550 tweets about prenatal and postnatal marijuana exposure found that most tweets had a neutral tone suggesting uncertainty, while the news sources they linked to primarily reported negative outcomes like poor brain development and low birth weight.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers collected 550 tweets from Twitter's inception through April 2017 that discussed marijuana use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
The majority of tweets (77.6%) had a neutral tone, suggesting widespread uncertainty about the health effects of cannabis exposure during pregnancy. The sources attached to tweets, however, were more likely to report negative health outcomes.
The most commonly reported risks of prenatal marijuana exposure were poor brain development (27.3%), inadequate nervous system development (23.6%), low birth weight (23.3%), poor behavioral outcomes (21.0%), and infant memory issues (19.3%).
For the breastfeeding period, the most frequently reported concern was the inverse association between marijuana use and the quality and quantity of breast milk.
Key Numbers
550 tweets analyzed. 77.6% had neutral tone. Top prenatal concerns: brain development (27.3%), nervous system (23.6%), low birth weight (23.3%), behavior (21.0%), memory (19.3%).
How They Did This
Content analysis of tweets collected from 2006 to April 2017 using search terms related to marijuana and pregnancy or infant health. All 550 captured tweets were coded for tone (positive, negative, neutral) and linked sources were examined for health outcome reporting.
Why This Research Matters
Social media is increasingly where people get health information, especially on stigmatized topics they may not feel comfortable discussing with a doctor. Understanding what information is circulating on platforms like Twitter about cannabis and pregnancy reveals gaps in public health messaging.
The Bigger Picture
The prevalence of neutral-toned tweets (suggesting uncertainty rather than clear risk communication) indicates that public health messaging about cannabis and pregnancy may not be reaching social media audiences effectively. As cannabis legalization expands and use during pregnancy ranges from 3-30%, this communication gap is worth addressing.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Twitter data captures public discourse, not health outcomes or actual use patterns. Tweets were collected through keyword searches which may have missed relevant discussions. The study could not determine whether tweet content influenced actual behavior. The analysis predates major changes in cannabis legalization and Twitter platform dynamics.
Questions This Raises
- ?Has social media messaging about cannabis and pregnancy shifted as more states have legalized?
- ?Do pregnant people who see neutral or positive tweets about cannabis use during pregnancy make different decisions than those exposed to risk-focused messaging?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 77.6% of tweets about marijuana and pregnancy had a neutral tone
- Evidence Grade:
- This is a content analysis of social media data, providing preliminary evidence about public discourse patterns rather than health outcomes.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2018 with tweets through April 2017. Social media discourse on this topic has likely evolved since then.
- Original Title:
- The perception of pre- and post-natal marijuana exposure on health outcomes: A content analysis of Twitter messages.
- Published In:
- Journal of neonatal-perinatal medicine, 11(4), 409-415 (2018)
- Authors:
- Dakkak, H, Brown, R, Twynstra, J, Charbonneau, K, Seabrook, J A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01636
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What did most tweets say about marijuana and pregnancy?
Most tweets (77.6%) had a neutral tone, suggesting uncertainty about health effects. The news articles linked in tweets, however, were more likely to highlight negative outcomes.
What were the most commonly reported risks?
The top reported risks of prenatal marijuana exposure were poor brain development (27.3%), inadequate nervous system development (23.6%), and low birth weight (23.3%).
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01636APA
Dakkak, H; Brown, R; Twynstra, J; Charbonneau, K; Seabrook, J A. (2018). The perception of pre- and post-natal marijuana exposure on health outcomes: A content analysis of Twitter messages.. Journal of neonatal-perinatal medicine, 11(4), 409-415. https://doi.org/10.3233/NPM-17133
MLA
Dakkak, H, et al. "The perception of pre- and post-natal marijuana exposure on health outcomes: A content analysis of Twitter messages.." Journal of neonatal-perinatal medicine, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3233/NPM-17133
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The perception of pre- and post-natal marijuana exposure on ..." RTHC-01636. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/dakkak-2018-the-perception-of-pre
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.