Prenatal Alcohol But Not Cannabis Use Linked to Infant Hearing Loss
Among 297,147 infants, prenatal alcohol use was associated with 37% increased risk of hearing loss, while prenatal cannabis and nicotine use showed no significant association.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Prenatal alcohol use was associated with increased infant hearing loss risk (aRR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.05-1.79), but neither prenatal cannabis use nor nicotine use was significantly associated with hearing loss in the first six months of life.
Key Numbers
297,147 infants. 9.9% prenatal alcohol exposure, 5.6% cannabis, 3.9% nicotine. 0.2% had hearing loss diagnosis. Alcohol: aRR = 1.37 (95% CI: 1.05-1.79). Cannabis and nicotine: not significant.
How They Did This
Population-based retrospective birth cohort of 297,147 infants born to 233,902 universally screened parents in Kaiser Permanente Northern California (2011-2023), using modified Poisson regression.
Why This Research Matters
This large study helps clarify which prenatal substance exposures specifically affect infant hearing. The null finding for cannabis provides reassurance on this particular outcome, while reinforcing alcohol's known developmental risks.
The Bigger Picture
Not all substances carry the same risks for all outcomes. This study helps separate substance-specific effects on infant hearing, contributing to more nuanced prenatal counseling rather than blanket warnings.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Low overall hearing loss prevalence (0.2%) limits statistical power for detecting smaller effects. Screening-based substance detection may undercount actual use. ICD-based hearing loss diagnosis may miss mild cases.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does prenatal cannabis exposure affect other aspects of auditory processing not captured by hearing loss diagnoses?
- ?Are there dose-response relationships for alcohol's effect on hearing?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Very large population-based cohort with universal screening — strong evidence, though low hearing loss prevalence limits power for detecting small effects.
- Study Age:
- Recent study spanning 2011-2023, providing the first large-scale comparison of multiple prenatal substances and infant hearing outcomes.
- Original Title:
- Alcohol, Cannabis, and nicotine use during early pregnancy and infant hearing loss.
- Published In:
- Preventive medicine, 192, 108242 (2025)
- Authors:
- Young-Wolff, Kelly C(42), Oberman, Nina(5), Alexeeff, Stacey E(19), Croen, Lisa A, Steuerle, Kristin R, Ansley, Deborah, Castellanos, Carley, Avalos, Lyndsay A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08012
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis use during pregnancy cause hearing problems in babies?
This large study found no significant association between prenatal cannabis use and infant hearing loss. However, alcohol use during pregnancy was associated with increased risk.
What prenatal substances affect infant hearing?
Of the three substances studied (alcohol, cannabis, nicotine), only prenatal alcohol use was significantly associated with hearing loss in the first six months of life.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08012APA
Young-Wolff, Kelly C; Oberman, Nina; Alexeeff, Stacey E; Croen, Lisa A; Steuerle, Kristin R; Ansley, Deborah; Castellanos, Carley; Avalos, Lyndsay A. (2025). Alcohol, Cannabis, and nicotine use during early pregnancy and infant hearing loss.. Preventive medicine, 192, 108242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108242
MLA
Young-Wolff, Kelly C, et al. "Alcohol, Cannabis, and nicotine use during early pregnancy and infant hearing loss.." Preventive medicine, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108242
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Alcohol, Cannabis, and nicotine use during early pregnancy a..." RTHC-08012. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/young-wolff-2025-alcohol-cannabis-and-nicotine
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.