Cannabis use during pregnancy is linked to mental health problems in early teenage years
A new study finds that pregnant women who regularly use cannabis are at a higher risk of developing mental health problems in their early teen years.
The study found that prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with attention, social and behavioral problems that persist into childhood. The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is an ongoing study of almost 12,000 children. The data comes from the study's participants, who are between the ages of 8 and 18. The focus of the ABCD Study is to learn more about how cognitive development changes over time, as well as to identify any common patterns that may exist across different groups of children.
The study found that children who had been exposed to prenatal cannabis were at an increased risk of developing disorders such as ADHD, aggressive behavior, conduct disorder and rule-breaking behavior.
“Once they hit 14 or 15, we’re expecting to see further increases in mental health disorders or other psychiatric conditions — increases that will continue into the kids’ early 20s,” researcher David Baranger of Washington University in St. Louis said in a news release.