Slashdot reader omfglearntoplay shared this article from Science Alert:
A cross-sectional analysis of 11,489 children, 655 of whom were exposed to THC in the womb, has found cannabis use during pregnancy is tied to a small elevation in psychotic-like behaviours later in life. These include aggression towards others, as well as attention and social problems… the relationship stood even when other confounding factors, such as genetic predispositions, were considered.
Whether or not this link is causal is another matter — after all, there are many other factors the researchers may not have considered — but in the context of other research, it’s an interesting link worthy of further exploration… [S]everal other lines of evidence have shown prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with decreased attention span and some behavioural problems in children…
While research on the health effects of cannabis is slowly catching up with legalisation, data on cannabis use during pregnancy is still lagging far behind. And that could be inadvertently harming the next generation. A 2019 study of over 450,000 pregnant women found cannabis use more than doubled between 2002 and 2017, reaching 7 percent… Cannabis is reportedly used to deal with nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, but there’s little evidence to say whether this actually works or if it’s safe… There is currently no known safe level of cannabis use during pregnancy or lactation.
The potential risks have led the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics to both advise against using cannabis in early pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Even the U.S. Surgeon General advises against cannabis use during pregnancy… While alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy are also linked to adverse health outcomes, these are already well documented. But many women don’t know these are risks that might also come with prenatal exposure to weed.
of this story at Slashdot.
Source:: Slashdot