Associations of maternal peripregnancy cannabis use with behavioral and developmental outcomes in children with and without symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Some studies report increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated symptoms with prenatal cannabis exposure. We examined whether associations of maternal cannabis use from 3 months preconception through delivery ("peripregnancy") with behavior and development in the offspring varied with the presence of ASD symptoms. Children ages 30-68 months with ASD symptoms (i.e., met study criteria for ASD or had ASD symptoms on standardized assessments or community ASD diagnosis, N = 2734) and without ASD symptoms (other developmental delay/disorders or general population sample, N = 3454) were evaluated with the Child Behavior Checklist and Mullen Scales of Early Learning. We examined cannabis use during three time periods: peripregnancy, pregnancy, and only preconception. Peripregnancy cannabis exposure was reported for 6.0% of children with and 4.6% of children without ASD symptoms. Preconception-only cannabis use (versus no use) was associated with more aggressive behavior, emotional reactivity, and sleep problems in children with ASD symptoms, but not in children without ASD symptoms. Cannabis use during pregnancy was associated with increased attention and sleep problems in children with ASD symptoms; these associations did not differ significantly by ASD symptoms. Peripregnancy cannabis use was not associated with child developmental abilities regardless of ASD symptoms. In summary, associations of peripregnancy cannabis use with some behavioral outcomes differed in children with and without ASD symptoms. With rising cannabis use among pregnant women, future studies that examine a range of developmental risks associated with timing and patterns of cannabis use prior to conception as well as during pregnancy could inform clinical guidance.

Source: Autism Research

DOI: 10.1002/aur.3284

Authors: Carolyn DiGuiseppi, Tessa Crume, Brady Holst, Kaylynn Aiona, Julia Van Dyke, Lisa A. Croen, Julie L. Daniels, Sandra Friedman, Katherine R. Sabourin, Laura A. Schieve, Lisa Wiggins, Gayle C. Windham, Cordelia Robinson Rosenberg

Institutions: Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz, Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, California Department of Public Health

Language: English

Topic: Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects

Subfield: Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: California Department of Public Health, Michigan State University, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

OpenAlex ID: W4405283840