Prenatal marijuana exposure may put kids at risk of mental health disorders, study says

(CNN) — A study has found that women who use marijuana during pregnancy may put their children at risk for mental health disorders in late adolescence.

researchers from Washington University in St. Louis analyzed data from an ongoing study that follows nearly 12,000 youth as they become young adults.

They found that marijuana use by mothers after about five to six weeks of pregnancy was associated with attention, social, and behavioral problems that persisted into early adolescence: 11 and 12 years of age.

They said those conditions may put children at a higher risk of developing mental health and substance abuse disorders in late adolescence, when young people are typically most vulnerable to such disorders and behaviors.

The authors said the results further support caution when it comes to using marijuana during pregnancy.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the magazine JAMA Pediatrics.

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