Maternal cannabis use disorder and offspring behavioral outcomes: findings from a linked data cohort study

Few studies have looked into how cannabis use during pregnancy affects the development of disruptive behavioral disorders (DBDs) in children, often using small sample sizes and self-reported data. This study aimed to understand the link between maternal cannabis use disorder (CUD) during pregnancy and after childbirth, and the risk of DBDs in children. We used health data from New South Wales, Australia, for children born between 2003 and 2005. We compared children whose mothers had CUD to those whose mothers did not, and assessed the risk of DBDs in these children. Both CUD and DBDs were identified using medical codes. We used statistical models to estimate the risk of DBDs in children, setting statistical significance at p < 0.05.

The results showed that children of mothers with CUD had a significantly higher risk of developing DBDs during pregnancy, around birth, and after birth. The study highlights the need for counseling on cannabis use before, during, and after pregnancy to reduce the risk of behavioral issues in children.