Children of Mothers with Cannabis Use Disorder Have 3.5x Higher Risk of Behavioral Disorders
In a population-based Australian cohort, children of mothers with cannabis use disorder during pregnancy had 3.56 times higher risk of developing disruptive behavioral disorders compared to unexposed children.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Maternal CUD during pregnancy was associated with significantly higher risk of disruptive behavioral disorders in offspring: antenatal CUD (RR 3.56, CI 2.42-5.05), perinatal CUD (RR 3.55, CI 2.45-4.98), and postnatal CUD (RR 2.95, CI 1.23-6.16). All exposure windows showed significant associations after adjustment for confounders.
Key Numbers
Antenatal CUD: RR 3.56 (CI 2.42-5.05). Perinatal CUD: RR 3.55 (CI 2.45-4.98). Postnatal CUD: RR 2.95 (CI 1.23-6.16). All statistically significant after adjustment.
How They Did This
Population-based retrospective cohort using linked health data from New South Wales, Australia. Live births 2003-2005. CUD and disruptive behavioral disorders identified via ICD codes. Generalized linear models with log-binomial regression.
Why This Research Matters
The consistent 3-3.5x risk increase across antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal exposure windows provides strong evidence that maternal CUD is associated with behavioral problems in children, regardless of timing.
The Bigger Picture
Together with the companion study on anxiety disorders (RTHC-07765), this research paints a comprehensive picture: maternal CUD is associated with both internalizing (anxiety) and externalizing (behavioral) disorders in offspring, suggesting broad developmental impact.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
ICD-coded diagnoses from administrative data. Cannot separate cannabis effects from associated risk factors. Disruptive behavioral disorders may be underdiagnosed. Same cohort limitations as companion anxiety study.
Questions This Raises
- ?What biological mechanisms might link prenatal cannabis exposure to behavioral disorders?
- ?Are these behavioral effects persistent into adulthood?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large population-based cohort with consistent findings across exposure windows, but administrative data and inability to isolate cannabis-specific effects limit conclusions.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication with 2003-2005 birth cohort.
- Original Title:
- Maternal cannabis use disorder and offspring behavioral outcomes: findings from a linked data cohort study.
- Published In:
- Psychiatry research, 346, 116404 (2025)
- Authors:
- Tadesse, Abay Woday(5), Dachew, Berihun Assefa(6), Ayano, Getinet(5), Betts, Kim, Alati, Rosa
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07766
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis use during pregnancy cause behavioral problems in children?
This study found children of mothers with cannabis use disorder had 3.5 times higher risk of disruptive behavioral disorders. The association was consistent whether exposure occurred during pregnancy, around birth, or postnatally, though the study cannot prove direct causation.
When is the riskiest time for cannabis exposure during pregnancy?
Risk was similar across all timing windows in this study: antenatal (RR 3.56), perinatal (RR 3.55), and postnatal (RR 2.95). This suggests both in-utero exposure and postnatal environmental factors may contribute.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07766APA
Tadesse, Abay Woday; Dachew, Berihun Assefa; Ayano, Getinet; Betts, Kim; Alati, Rosa. (2025). Maternal cannabis use disorder and offspring behavioral outcomes: findings from a linked data cohort study.. Psychiatry research, 346, 116404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116404
MLA
Tadesse, Abay Woday, et al. "Maternal cannabis use disorder and offspring behavioral outcomes: findings from a linked data cohort study.." Psychiatry research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116404
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Maternal cannabis use disorder and offspring behavioral outc..." RTHC-07766. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/tadesse-2025-maternal-cannabis-use-disorder
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.