Using data from the landmark ABCD study, prenatal cannabis exposure was associated with increased psychosis proneness in children, with maternal use after knowledge of pregnancy showing a stronger association.
People interested in cannabis and pregnancy, child brain development, and psychosis risk factors.
Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to higher psychosis proneness in ABCD study children
What the researchers found
Maternal cannabis use during pregnancy, particularly after the mother knew she was pregnant, was associated with higher psychosis proneness scores in their children, based on data from the large-scale Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study.
Why it matters
The ABCD study is the largest long-term study of brain development in the US, making these findings particularly important. An association between prenatal cannabis exposure and psychosis proneness could have significant public health implications as cannabis use during pregnancy increases.
The numbers in context
Data drawn from the ABCD study cohort. Association found between prenatal cannabis exposure and psychosis proneness. Stronger signal when maternal use continued after knowledge of pregnancy.
How the study worked
Cohort analysis using data from the ongoing ABCD study, a landmark US longitudinal study tracking brain development in thousands of children. Compared psychosis proneness scores between children exposed and unexposed to prenatal cannabis.
What this study cannot tell us
Published as a brief research letter with limited methodological detail. Prenatal cannabis exposure was maternally reported, which may be subject to recall and social desirability bias. Association does not prove causation. Confounding factors like other substance use and socioeconomic factors may contribute.
How to read the evidence
Strong: based on the ABCD study, the largest US longitudinal brain development study, published in JAMA Psychiatry.
When this study was published
Published in 2019.
The bigger picture
Cannabis use during pregnancy has been increasing alongside legalization. If prenatal exposure influences psychosis vulnerability, this represents a preventable risk factor. The ABCD study's long-term follow-up will eventually reveal whether childhood psychosis proneness translates to adult psychotic disorders.
Questions still open
- Does prenatal cannabis exposure directly increase psychosis risk, or is it a marker for other environmental factors? Will the ABCD study follow-up data show these children developing clinical psychotic disorders? What biological mechanism might link prenatal cannabinoid exposure to psychosis vulnerability?
Common questions
Can cannabis use during pregnancy affect the child's mental health?
What is the ABCD study?
Read the original research
Association of Prenatal Cannabis Exposure With Psychosis Proneness Among Children in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.
JAMA psychiatry, 76(7), 762-764
Citation
Fine, Jeremy D; Moreau, Allison L; Karcher, Nicole R; Agrawal, Arpana; Rogers, Cynthia E; Barch, Deanna M; Bogdan, Ryan. (2019). Association of Prenatal Cannabis Exposure With Psychosis Proneness Among Children in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.. JAMA psychiatry, 76(7), 762-764. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0076
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