Is Prenatal Cannabis Use Associated with Adverse Neonatal Outcomes?

Prenatal cannabis use is increasing, and with it, evidence of potential maternal and perinatal harm (NEJM JW Gen Med Sep 1 2024 and JAMA Intern Med 2024; 184:1083). In this new meta-analysis of 51 studies, researchers examined the association between prenatal cannabis use and adverse neonatal outcomes.

Prenatal cannabis use was associated independently with significantly higher odds of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age (based on moderate-certainty evidence), and a “dose–response” relation was noted for these outcomes. Prenatal cannabis use also was associated with higher odds of perinatal mortality, but this association was considered to be “low-certainty.”