Photo caption: 九州影院 School of Biological Sciences Senior Lecturer Dr Amy Osborne has led a new international study, with the University of Oxford, exploring the effects of maternal cannabis use.听
Led by Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 九州影院 (UC) School of Biological Sciences Senior Lecturer Dr Amy Osborne, the study has for the first time found prenatal cannabis use is associated with molecular changes in the genes of exposed children.
鈥淲e know cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with childhood and adolescent brain development and cognitive function,鈥 Dr Osborne says. 鈥淗owever, previous studies haven鈥檛 been able to prove that cannabis exposure has specifically caused the adverse effects on neurodevelopment that have been observed.鈥
She says the new study is important because cannabis use during pregnancy is a growing issue. 鈥淐annabis is now the most commonly used drug, excluding alcohol and tobacco, among pregnant women in the United States and the frequency has been rising since the Covid-19 pandemic.鈥
The research, which is a collaboration between UC and the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, uses genomic data from two longitudinal studies; the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in the UK, and the Christchurch Health and Development Study. The findings reveal genome-wide significant DNA changes in the offspring of mothers who smoked cannabis during pregnancy.听
鈥淯sing data from individuals at birth, aged seven, 15-17, and 27, we showed a molecular signature of prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) in exposed individuals,鈥 Dr Osborne says. 鈥淚n a world-first, we identified a significant number of molecular changes in genes involved in neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental disease, across the life course. This is a key finding because it suggests there is a molecular link between prenatal cannabis exposure and impacts on the genes involved in neurodevelopment.鈥
Dr Osborne says the results add to growing evidence suggesting a causative link between PCE and adverse outcomes in exposed children.听
This is of serious concern because, internationally, many pregnant women are using cannabis and cannabis-containing products to alleviate pregnancy symptoms and anxiety, she says.
鈥淲ith the wider availability of cannabis products overseas, and eventually in New Zealand, the use of cannabis during pregnancy will continue to rise, however, the harms of this practice are not well known.听
鈥淲e hope our research will inspire further investigation with larger cohorts and there will soon be clearer advice to pregnant women about the impact of cannabis use. Otherwise, the potential risk to children remains, and will likely grow.鈥
The study, published in journal, was funded through a Major Project Grant from the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation.听
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 - Good health and wellbeing.
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