Cannabis use during pregnancy related to having an anxious child

The research team studied placental gene expression and early childhood behaviors in 322 mother-child pairs.

When the children were 6 years old, the researchers measured the children’s heart function via EKG recordings and hormone levels via hair samples.

The behavioral and emotional functioning of the children was also assessed through surveys.

The research team found that children whose mothers used cannabis during their pregnancy had higher levels of anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity and stress.

These children also had abnormalities in their heart rate, which have been associated with increased sensitivity to stress.

Sampling the placenta revealed that maternal cannabis use was linked to irregularities in genes linked to immunity, which could explain why their children were more anxious, the researchers said.

According to Dr Scott Krakower, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York, maternal cannabis use has been linked to worsening neurodevelopmental disorders and problems, such as ADHD, in children later in life. .

“This study made it stronger… and they used hormones and placentas to show that there were changes in the overall immune cascade, which could lead to worsening anxiety and hyperactivity,” said declared Krakower.

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs during pregnancy, and maternal cannabis use was on the rise given the increased legalization.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that cannabis use during pregnancy is between 2 and 5 percent. This estimate rises to 15 to 28 percent among young urban and socially disadvantaged women.

Many people believe that it is safer to use cannabis than to smoke tobacco during pregnancy. But animal models have shown that the active chemicals in cannabis can cross the placenta.

Although scientists are still studying the link between cannabis use during pregnancy and its impact on fetal development, the results suggest that fetal exposure to cannabinoids may negatively affect brain development.

Previous studies have linked maternal cannabis use to decreased attention span and behavioral problems in children.

Cannabis products are not strictly regulated, so it is difficult to know the exact potency of what someone ingests, which could be dangerous for both the child and the mother.

There have been reports of cannabis causing psychosis and worsening of psychotic symptoms and mood symptoms.

“If the mother is okay, then the baby is okay. But if the mother’s mental health is not doing very well or there is ingestion of other substances and the like, the baby’s outcome may not be as good as you want it to be, ”Krakower said.

Krakower says there is a strong correlation between anxiety and cannabis use. However, it is not clear why cannabis users are more anxious.

“It’s either because, A, you are more anxious and you are more likely to use marijuana, or B, using marijuana may be making anxiety worse in the long run,” Krakower said.

If the mother suffers from anxiety, she may also pass it on to her children.

“Would the child have had anxiety anyway?” I’m not sure, ”Krakower said, but pointed this out, but it seems likely that there may be a change in“ neuroendocrine access ”.

There may be other factors contributing to children’s mental health that the study did not take into account.

“There is also no consideration of life events between pregnancy and the start of the study – such as trauma or even just being brought up in a household where the anxiety of parents, guardians and siblings are part of everyday life, ”Tishler said.

Further studies following mothers and their children from conception to adulthood are needed to better understand the short- and long-term impacts of maternal cannabis use.

New research suggests maternal cannabis use is associated with higher levels of anxiety, stress, and hyperactivity in children later in life.

Researchers believe this is because cannabis can trigger changes in genes involved in immune function, contributing to anxiety.

Although many unknowns about maternal marijuana use persist, doctors continue to advise against cannabis use during pregnancy because of the potential harm to the fetus.