Prenatal cannabis exposure and sleep outcomes in children 9-10 years of age in the adolescent brain cognitive development SM study

Abstract

Objectives: Analyze the associations between prenatal cannabis exposure and child sleep outcomes.

Methods: Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study®) was used to determine whether maternal reports of prenatal cannabis use were associated with child sleep outcomes among 11,875 children ages 9-10 controlling for covariates including prenatal substance exposure, mother's education, combined household income, parental marital status, race, child sex, and child age.

Results: Endorsement of any prenatal cannabis use was associated with symptoms of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, disorders of arousal, sleep wake disorders, disorders of excessive somnolence, and a summed sleep disorder score (all β > 0.10 and p < 0.03) while frequency of prenatal daily cannabis use was significantly associated with disorders of excessive somnolence (β = 0.29, p = 0.03).

Conclusions: Although causality is not established, the results suggest potential long-term effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on sleep and the prudence of abstinence from cannabis use while pregnant.

Keywords: Cannabis; Development; Prenatal; Sleep.