PRENATAL MARIJUANA EXPOSURE: LONG-TERM OUTCOMES

描述(由申请者提供)：母亲健康实践和儿童发展项目提供了一个独特的机会来评估从怀孕第四个月到16岁一直被跟踪的年轻人的发育和成熟。在这个拟议的阶段，后代将是21岁。我们将探讨产前大麻暴露(PME)对幼年后代的影响。我们将把这项评估与之前阶段的措施结合起来，并评估这些年轻人在研究的多个时间点的发展轨迹。重要的是，在这个拟议的阶段，我们将评估产前接触大麻对成年角色和责任的过渡和适应的影响。 该项目中的妇女在她们出生前的第四个月和第七个月以及她们的孩子在分娩时、出生时、8个月和18个月、3、6、10、14和16岁时接受了采访。该队列选自一家产前诊所，这些妇女代表了产前使用大麻的范围。在这10个阶段中的每一个阶段，我们都测量了人口状况、心理、社会和家庭环境、母亲、父亲和家庭物质的使用情况。我们评估了儿童的认知、行为、学习、心理、身体和神经心理状况，以及物质使用和滥用。 到目前为止的研究结果表明，孕期接触大麻会影响中枢神经系统的发育，导致情绪、反应抑制和执行功能方面的问题。这些结果，以及这些影响的后遗症，如学业困难和外化行为，可能会导致成年后出现更严重的问题。出生前接触大麻造成的缺陷对长期发展具有重要影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Maternal Health Practices and Child Development Project provides a unique opportunity to assess the development and maturation of young adults who have been followed since their fourth month of gestation through the age of 16. At this proposed phase, the offspring will be 21 years of age. We will explore the effects of prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) on the offspring in young adulthood. We will integrate this assessment with measures at prior phases and evaluate the developmental trajectories of these young adults across the multiple time points of the study. Importantly, at this proposed phase, we will assess the effects of prenatal exposure to marijuana on the transition into and adjustment to the roles and responsibilities of adulthood. The women in this project were interviewed in their fourth and seventh prenatal months and with their offspring at delivery, birth, 8 and 18 months, 3, 6, 10, 14 and 16 years of age. The cohort was selected from a prenatal clinic and the women represent the spectrum of prenatal marijuana use. At each of the 10 phases, we measured demographic status, the psychological, social, and household environment, maternal, paternal, and household substance use. We assessed the children's cognitive, behavioral, academic, psychological, physical, and neuropsychological status, and substance use and abuse. Study results to date demonstrate that marijuana exposure during gestation affects the development of the CNS, resulting in problems with mood, response suppression, and aspects of executive function. These outcomes, as well as the sequelae of these effects, such as academic difficulties and externalizing behaviors, may lead to more serious problems in adulthood. The deficits that result from prenatal exposure to marijuana have important implications for long-term development.