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New research links cannabis use during pregnancy to lasting effects on child development. A study of 460 mother-child pairs found that children exposed to THC in the womb — especially near delivery — were significantly more likely to show attention problems, ADHD symptoms, and developmental issues by age 5. Researchers say it's never too late to quit, and even cutting back can make a meaningful difference.
Cannabis use during pregnancy has quietly overtaken tobacco use — and a new study suggests the consequences for children may be serious. Published in The Journal of Pediatrics, the research tracked 460 mother-child pairs and measured THC levels in maternal blood during pregnancy and in umbilical cord blood at delivery. By age 5, children with detectable THC exposure at delivery showed significantly higher rates of attention problems, ADHD symptoms, and pervasive developmental issues compared to unexposed children.
Notably, the associations were strongest when THC was detected at delivery — which may reflect either a particularly vulnerable window of brain development in the third trimester, or sustained cannabis use throughout pregnancy. Researchers used biomarker testing rather than self-reporting, making the findings more objective and reliable.
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Why it matters: With cannabis use in pregnancy on the rise, these findings reinforce the need for clinicians to counsel patients on cessation at any stage of pregnancy — and to recognize that even reducing use can benefit fetal brain development.
