In 11,570 children from 34 cohorts, prenatal cannabis was not associated with autism after controlling for tobacco.
Pregnant individuals, OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and autism researchers.
11,570 children showed no cannabis-autism link after controlling for tobacco
What the researchers found
Associations between prenatal cannabis and ASD traits were not significant when controlling for covariates, particularly tobacco. Sex did not moderate.
Why it matters
Largest study to date. Apparent associations disappear when accounting for tobacco, suggesting it is the key confounder.
The numbers in context
11,570 children; 34 cohorts; ages 1-18; 53% male; not significant after controlling for tobacco
How the study worked
Multi-cohort analysis from 34 NIH ECHO cohorts with 11,570 children using generalized linear mixed models.
What this study cannot tell us
Self-reported exposure. Different ASD measures across cohorts. Could not control for potency.
How to read the evidence
Very large multi-cohort study with diverse sample and appropriate controls.
When this study was published
Published in 2024.
The bigger picture
Strong evidence that prenatal cannabis is not an independent autism risk factor when confounders are accounted for.
Questions still open
- Should screening focus more on tobacco?
- Do high-potency products pose different risks?
Common questions
Does cannabis during pregnancy cause autism?
Why does tobacco matter?
Read the original research
Examining the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and child autism traits: A multi-cohort investigation in the environmental influences on child health outcome program.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 17(8), 1651-1664
Citation
Nutor, Chaela; Dickerson, Aisha S; Hsu, Tingju; Al-Jadiri, Aseel; Camargo, Carlos A; Schweitzer, Julie B; Shuster, Coral L; Karagas, Margaret R; Madan, Juliette C; Restrepo, Bibiana; Schmidt, Rebecca J; Lugo-Candelas, Claudia; Neiderhiser, Jenae; Sathyanarayana, Sheela; Dunlop, Anne L; Brennan, Patricia A. (2024). Examining the association between prenatal cannabis exposure and child autism traits: A multi-cohort investigation in the environmental influences on child health outcome program.. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 17(8), 1651-1664. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3185
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