Category: Paediatrics

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Viewing Violent TV Leaves Lasting Impact on Preschool Children

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Watching violent TV during the preschool years can lead to later risks of psychological and academic impairment by the end of primary school according to a new study published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

According to study leader Professor Linda Pagani, a professor at Université de Montréal’s School of Psycho-Education, it was previously “unclear to what extent exposure to typical violent screen content in early childhood – a particularly critical time in brain development – can predict later psychological distress and academic risks,” said Pagani.

“The detection of early modifiable factors that influence a child’s later well-being is an important target for individual and community health initiatives, and psychological adjustment and academic motivation are essential elements in the successful transition to adolescence,” she added.

“So, we wanted to see the long-term effect of typical violent screen exposure in preschoolers on normal development, based on several key indicators of youth adjustment at age 12.”

To do this, Pagani and her team examined the violent screen content that parents reported their children viewing between ages three-and-a-half and four-and-a-half, and then conducted a follow-up when the children reached 12.

Follow-up at age 12

At the follow-up, two reports were taken: first, of what teachers said they observed, and second, of what the children themselves, now at the end of Grade 6, described as their psychological and academic progress.

“Compared to their same-sex peers who were not exposed to violent screen content, boys and girls who were exposed to typical violent content on television were more likely to experience subsequent increases in emotional distress,” said Pagani.

“They also experienced decreases in classroom engagement, academic achievement and academic motivation by the end of the sixth grade,” she added.

“For youth, transition to middle school already represents a crucial stage in their development as adolescents. Feeling sadness and anxiety and being at risk academically tends to complicate their situation.”

Pagani and co-authors Jessica Bernard and Caroline Fitzpatrick came to their conclusions after examining data from a cohort of children born in 1997 or 1998 who are part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, coordinated by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.

Close to 2000 children studied

In all, the parents of 978 girls and 998 boys participated in the study of violent TV viewing at the preschool age. At age 12 years, the children and their teachers rated the children’s psychosocial and academic achievement, motivation and participation in classroom activities.

Pagani’s team then analysed the data to identify any significant link between problems with those aspects and violent content they were exposed to at preschool, while trying to account for as many possible biases and confounding influences as possible.

“Our goal was to eliminate any pre-existing conditions of the children or families that could have provided an alternative explanation or throw a different light on our results,” Pagani said.

Watching TV is a common early childhood pastime, and some of the children in the study were exposed to violence and some were not.

Psychological and academic impairment in children is of increasing concern for education and public-health sector workers. According to Pagani, problems starting middle school (ages 13 to 15) are rooted in early childhood.

Identifying with fictional characters

“Preschool children tend to identify with characters on TV and treat everything they see as real,” she said. “They are especially vulnerable to humorous depictions of glorified heroes and villains who use violence as a justified means to solve problems.

“Repeated exposure,” she added, “to rapidly paced, adrenaline-inducing action sequences and captivating special effects could reinforce beliefs, attitudes and impressions that habitual violence in social interactions is ‘ normal’. Mislearning essential social skills can make it difficult to fit in at school.”

Added Bernard: “Just like witnessing violence in real life, being repeatedly exposed to a hostile and violent world populated by sometimes grotesque-looking creatures could trigger fear and stress and lead these children to perceive society as dangerous and frightening.

“And this can lead to habitually overreacting in ambiguous social situations.”

She continued: “In the preschool years, the number of hours in a day is limited, and the more children get exposed to aggressive interactions (on screens) the more they might think it normal to behave that way.”

Pagani added: “Being exposed to more appropriate social situations, however, can help them develop essential social skills that will later be useful and ultimately play a key role in their personal and economic success.”

Source: University of Montreal

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease PaediatricsTags :

Oxygen Deficiency in Newborns may Increase Later Cardiovascular Risk

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A population-based observational study has shown that babies suffering oxygen-deficiency complications at birth are almost twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease in childhood or early adulthood, though such conditions are rare in youth. The findings are published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.

According to the Karolinska Institutet researchers, the study could be the first of its kind to examine how complications related to asphyxiation at birth, which affects four million babies annually, affects the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Previous research has mostly concentrated on the association between asphyxia in the neonatal period and brain development.

Despite the relatively high risk, the absolute number of babies who suffer from cardiovascular disease despite asphyxiation at birth is very low. After the 30-year follow-up period, only 0.3% of those with asphyxia-related complications had a cardiovascular diagnosis, compared with 0.15% of those without complications.

Since the study was observational, the researchers are unable to establish any causality or propose any underlying mechanisms.

Largest risk increase for stroke and heart failure

The study followed over 2.8 million individuals born in Sweden between 1988 and 2018, of whom 31 419 suffered asphyxia-related complications at birth. A total of 4165 cases of cardiovascular disease were identified during the follow-up period. The increase in risk was particularly salient for stroke and heart failure, as well as for atrial fibrillation. The researchers took into account potential confounders such as birth weight and maternal lifestyle.

“Even if the absolute risk of cardiovascular disease is low at a young age, our study shows that asphyxia-related complications at birth are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life,” says the study’s corresponding author Neda Razaz, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Cancer PaediatricsTags :

Blood Transfusion Increases Risks in Paediatric Cancer

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A study published in the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology found that blood transfusion is associated with adverse outcomes, including infection and higher rates of tumour recurrence — in paediatric solid tumour oncology patients following surgical removal of the tumour.

“Blood transfusion is obviously hugely important when used in the appropriate clinical scenario, but there are some downsides,” said study author Shannon Acker, MD, an assistant professor of paediatric surgery in the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “It’s pro-inflammatory and suppresses the immune system because your body reacts to foreign tissue. It can be a vital intervention, but I think we’re starting to be a little more thoughtful about giving patients blood products.”

Understanding paediatric blood transfusion

Dr Acker and colleagues pursued this research, in part, because while the effects of packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion in adult populations have been widely studied, data are sparser for paediatric patients.

“It’s fairly well-documented that in adult patients, perioperative blood transfusion for solid tumour resection is associated with certain adverse outcomes,” Dr Acker explained. “But paediatric cancers are more rare, so they’re more challenging to study. We need more data to understand whether what we know to be true in adult cancers is also true in paediatric cancers.”

Using retrospective data on more than 260 paediatric patients over 11 years, the researchers included malignant solid tumours removed by surgeons across all surgical disciplines. Dr Acker acknowledges that grouping different types of cancer into one study lessens the validity of the research because different cancers have different outcomes, “but we needed a place to start so we can begin working toward more collaborative, multi-centre paediatric oncology research,” she said.

Higher rates of complications

Of the 360 paediatric patients who underwent tumour resection, 194 received a blood transfusion within 30 days of surgery.

Analysing the data, they saw that children who received a blood transfusion had higher rates of post-surgery infectious complications, a shorter disease-free interval, and higher rates of tumour recurrence. They also adjusted for receiving pre-operative chemotherapy and still found that blood transfusion was associated with higher rates of post-operative infectious complications and a shorter disease-free interval.

No relationship was seen between tumour type and rate of infectious complications or disease-free interval.

Providing the best patient care

An aim of the research and its findings is to continue supporting and facilitating conversations and practices about patient care. “Packed red blood cells carry oxygen to the body and help tissues get the oxygen that they need,” Acker says. “They’re essential. It used to be common practice that if a surgeon was taking out a tumour and the patient was losing blood, they would immediately get two units.”

She added that blood transfusion now is recognised as “not a totally benign intervention, so instead of immediately giving a patient two units, we start with one and see if that leads to an appropriate response. Our research shows that each additional unit increases risk of adverse outcomes, so we want to continue being thoughtful in using this intervention.”

Acker adds that a further goal of the research is to work with members of paediatric oncology surgical consortiums to draw data from national and international centres. “The data we have are good, but I don’t think they’re enough to convince people to change institutional protocols. If we can get more validated, multi-centre data, we can begin to look at a more granular level at timing of transfusions and types of cancers so we can continue providing the best patient care.”

Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Categories : PaediatricsTags :

Diarrhoea in Infants Requires Urgent Attention

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Diarrhoea remains one of the leading causes of death, ill health and disability among children under five years of age in developing countries,1 accounting for 19% of deaths of under-fives in South Africa and for 46% on the African continent.1 Globally, diarrhoea is the second leading infectious cause of death, accounting for 9.2% of deaths in under-fives.1

The high incidence of malnutrition in South Africa2 adds to this toll. The relationship between diarrhoea and malnutrition is bidirectional: diarrhoea may lead to malnutrition, while malnutrition may aggravate the course of diarrhoea.3 Diarrhoea is more common and more severe in children with malnutrition (ie, undernutrition), and malnourished children often have persistent or repeated diarrhoea.4 In addition, malnourished children are more likely to develop severe diarrhoea and die from it.4 Vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children under five years of age are the most affected by malnutrition, especially in rural areas.5

Identifying children at risk

The Centres for Disease Control advises that caregivers should be trained to recognise signs of illness or treatment failure that necessitate medical intervention.6 Infants with acute diarrhoea are more prone to becoming dehydrated than older children,6 and healthcare workers or parents of infants with diarrhoea should promptly seek medical evaluation as soon as the child appears to be in distress. Reports of changing mental status in the child are of particular concern.6

When the child’s condition is in doubt, immediate evaluation by a healthcare professional is recommended.6 Clinical examination of the child provides an opportunity for physical assessment, including vital signs, degree of dehydration, and a more detailed history, and for providing better instructions to the caregivers.6

Treatment

The treatment emphasis for acute diarrhoea in children is the prevention and management of dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities and comorbid conditions.3 The objectives of diarrhoeal disease management are to prevent weight loss, encourage catch-up growth during recovery, shorten the duration and decrease the impact of the diarrhoea on the child’s health.3

A number of studies have shown that probiotics shorten the duration of diarrhoea and prevent recurrence of other episodes.7 Furthermore, probiotics can prevent diarrhoea from infection in infants with malnutrition.7

Momeena Omarjee, Consumer Healthcare Country Head: Scientific Affairs, at Sanofi South Africa says: “Good gut health is crucial for one’s wellbeing – and healthcare professionals should encourage parents to give children a daily, regular probiotic which could go a long way in preventing diarrhoea and illness.”

How can the risk of diarrhoea be reduced?

Breastfeeding, a clean safe water supply, appropriate hand-washing and good sanitation will prevent most cases of diarrhoea.8

Research shows that diarrhoea is closely linked to socioeconomic status and has the most adverse effects in South Africa’s impoverished communities.9 South African children living in poverty are approximately 10 times more likely to die from diarrhoea than their more privileged counterparts.9

Says Omarjee: “Many of these under-privileged children in South Africa do not have adequate access to clean, potable water and quality early childcare and development, and they experience limited access to health and nutrition services. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), for example, is experiencing outbreaks of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases due to the recent floods.”

Although government and NGOs have been working tirelessly to distribute clean, potable water to affected areas in the province, many communities continue to face challenges and intervention is needed to not only provide clean water to the communities, but also to manage the high risk of diarrhoea and related water-borne diseases.

“Sanofi has therefore embarked on an ambitious campaign, in partnership with a non-profit organisation, Save the Children South Africa, from October 2022 to assist these areas in need, and to impact over 2,000,000 lives through hygiene education and access to water,” says Omarjee.

Sanofi, working together with Save the children South Africa, will donate water tanks to Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centres in the communities identified, based on Save the Children’s baseline assessment, and will ensure access to clean, potable water.

The provision of information, counselling, education and support to children and their caregivers is also limited, which translates into low use of services and uptake of practices promoting good health. Education campaigns on healthy hygiene habits will be rolled out to children and their caregivers and will be run through the Child Health Awareness Days (CHAD) events, training of ECCD centres practitioners, and community health workers.

Sanofi is committed to ensuring that no child dies of a preventable disease, especially when there are effective treatments available. Says Omarjee: “Healthcare professionals need to encourage parents and caregivers to act promptly and seek assistance when instances of diarrhoea in children under age five do not abate swiftly.”

  1. Awotione, O.F., et al. 2016. Systematic review: Diarrhoea in children under five years of age in South Africa (1997-2014). Tropical Medicine and International Health, 21(9), 1060-1070.
  2. Cleary, K. 2020. In-depth: The long shadow of malnutrition in South Africa. Available from: https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za, accessed 29 September 2022.
  3. Nel, E. 2010. Diarrhoea and malnutrition. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 23, suppl 1, 15-18.
  4. Child Healthcare. n.d. What is the relationship between diarrhoea and malnutrition? Available from: https://childhealthcare.co.za, accessed 29 September 2022.
  5. Govender, L., et al. 2021. Assessment of the nutritional status of four selected rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Nutrients, 13(9), 2920.
  6. Centers for Disease Control. 2003. Managing acute gastro-enteritis among children. MMWR, 52(RR16), 1-16.
  7. Solis, B. et al. 2002. Probiotics as a help in children suffering from malnutrition and diarrhoea. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 56, S57-59.
  8. Child Healthcare. n.d. How can the risk of diarrhoea be reduced? Available from: https://childhealthcare.co.za, accessed 29 September 2022.
  9. Chola, L., et al. 2015. Reducing diarrhoea deaths in South Africa: costs and effects of scaling up essential interventions to prevent and treat diarrhoea in under five children. BMC Public Health, 15, 394.
Categories : PaediatricsTags :

After Sepsis, Children are at Risk of New Medical Conditions

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Even months after being critical ill with sepsis, children are at risk for new or worsening medical conditions, suggests a study in JAMA Pediatrics. The researchers found that a fifth of children in a nationwide US cohort either developed or experienced progressing disease within six months of leaving the intensive care unit for sepsis.

Researchers compared data from 5150 children who received ICU care for sepsis to 96 361 who experienced critical illness from other conditions. Those with sepsis were more likely to later experience chronic respiratory failure, problems requiring nutritional dependence and chronic kidney disease. Both groups also had a risk of developing a seizure disorder.

“Children who survive severe sepsis are at risk of long-term health consequences that impact their quality of life and future health needs,” said lead author Erin Carlton, MD, MSc, a paediatric intensivist at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Not all children who recover from critical illness from sepsis are impacted equally, the study suggests. Those with pre-existing illnesses were three times more likely to experience new or worsening disease.

Meanwhile, younger children, especially under twelve months old, were twice as likely to require supplemental nutrition, such as needing a feeding tube, or develop a new seizure condition such as epilepsy, than older children.

Sepsis, where an out-of-control immune response to infection damages vital organs, is a leading cause of death among children and newborns. In the US, 70 000 children in the are hospitalised with sepsis annually.

“Many children who require critical care for sepsis have debilitating physical, cognitive or emotional challenges long after recovery,” Dr Carlton said. “Our findings suggest a need for improved follow up care focused on identifying and treating new or worsening medical conditions.”

Source: Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan

Categories : Injury & Trauma PaediatricsTags :

e-Scooter Injuries among Children on The Increase

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Standing electric scooters, typically termed e-scooters, have been increasing in popularity over the past decade. According to a new research abstract presented during the 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition, e-scooter injuries among children are becoming much more common and increasingly severe.

The authors found hundreds of e-scooter injuries in the US between 2011-2020. The rate of hospital admittance for patients increased from fewer than 1 out of every 20 e-scooter injuries in 2011 to 1 out of every 8 requiring admittance into a hospital for care in 2020.

“The number of annual e-scooter injuries has increased from 2011 to 2020, likely due in some part to the rise in popularity of rideshare e-scooter apps,” said lead author Harrison Hayward, MD, Emergency Medicine fellow at Children’s National Hospital. “Our study has characterised the spectrum of injuries that occur in children, which helps emergency room doctors prepare for taking care of them and helps parents and families to practice better safety.”

Researchers examined a national database of paediatric e-scooter injuries that were seen in emergency departments at over 100 US hospitals from 2011–2020 to find out what kinds of injuries children were sustaining and if any trends existed. Over 10% of all patients had a head injury, including a concussion, skull fractures, and internal bleeding. The most common injuries were arm fractures (27%), followed by minor abrasions (22%) and lacerations needing stitches (17%). The average age was 11.1 years and 59% of patients were male. Admittance to a hospital rose from 4.2% in 2011 to 12.9% in 2020.

“Parents whose children are riding e-scooters need to know how best to be safe. To that end, helmets are a must, since over 10% of the reported cases were head injuries,” said Dr Hayward. “Children should absolutely be wearing helmets while riding an e-scooter. Research has broadly demonstrated that helmets save lives for bicycle riders, and we should think similarly about e-scooters.”

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics

Categories : Cardiovascular Disease PaediatricsTags :

Arrhythmias From Playing Video Games in Susceptible Children

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Video games can precipitate life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in susceptible children whose predisposition may have been previously unrecognised, according to findings published in Heart Rhythm. The investigators documented an uncommon, but distinct pattern among children who lose consciousness while playing video games – particularly among multiplayer war gaming which can have stressful online interactions.

“Video games may represent a serious risk to some children with arrhythmic conditions; they might be lethal in patients with predisposing, but often previously unrecognized arrhythmic conditions,” explained lead investigator Claire M. Lawley, MBBS, PhD. “Children who suddenly lose consciousness while electronic gaming should be assessed by a heart specialist as this could be the first sign of a serious heart problem.”

The investigators performed a systematic review of literature and initiated a multisite international outreach effort to identify cases of children with sudden loss of consciousness while playing video games. Across the 22 cases found, multiplayer war gaming was the most frequent trigger, and some children died following a cardiac arrest. Subsequent diagnoses of several heart rhythm conditions put the children at continuing risk. Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) and congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) types 1 and 2 were the most common underlying causes.

There was a high incidence of potentially relevant genetic variants (63%) among the patients, which has significant implications for their families. In some cases, the investigation led to the diagnosis of familial heart problems. “Families and healthcare teams should think about safety precautions around electronic gaming in children who have a condition where dangerous fast heart rhythms are a risk,” noted Dr Lawley.

Adrenergic stimulation related to the emotionally charged electronic gaming environment was attributed as the pathophysiological basis for this phenomenon. At the time of the cardiac incidents, many of the patients were in excited states, having just won or lost games, or were engaging in conflict with companions.

“We already know that some children have heart conditions that can put them at risk when playing competitive sports, but we were shocked to discover that some patients were having life-threatening blackouts during video gaming,” added co-investigator Christian Turner, MBBS. “Video gaming was something I previously thought would be an alternative ‘safe activity.’ This is a really important discovery. We need to ensure everyone knows how important it is to get checked out when someone has had a blacking out episode in these circumstances.”

The study notes that while this phenomenon is not a common occurrence, it is becoming more prevalent. “Having looked after children with heart rhythm problems for more than 25 years, I was staggered to see how widespread this emerging presentation is, and to find that a number of children had even died from it. All of the collaborators are keen to publicize this phenomenon so our colleagues across the globe can recognize it and protect these children and their families,” noted co-investigator of the study, Jonathan Skinner, MBChB, MD, also from Sydney.

In an accompanying editorial Daniel Sohinki, MD, MSc, and coauthors pointed out that, “exertion should be understood to encompass activities outside of traditional competitive athletics. Appropriate counselling regarding the risks of intense video gameplay should be targeted in children with a pro-arrhythmic cardiac diagnosis, and in any child with a history of exertional syncope of undetermined aetiology. Further, any future screening programs aimed at identifying athletes at risk for malignant arrhythmias should encompass athletes being considered for participation in eSports.”

Source: EurekAlert!

Categories : Injury & Trauma PaediatricsTags :

Behavioural Problems in Kids after Traumatic Brain Injuries

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Kids who experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI), even a mild one, have more emotional and behavioural problems than kids who do not, according to a study published in NeuroImage.

“These hits to the head are hard to study because much of it depends on recall of an injury since the impacts do not all require a visit to a doctor,” said study first author Daniel Lopez, a PhD candidate at Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. “But being able to analyse longitudinal data from a large cohort and ask important questions like this gives us valuable information into how a TBI, even a mild one, impacts a developing brain.”

Researchers used MRI and behavioural data collected from thousands of children who participated in the Adolescence Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. They revealed children with a mild TBI experienced a 15-percent increased risk of an emotional or behavioural problem. The risk was the highest in children around ten years old. Researchers found that children who had a significant hit to the head but did not meet diagnostic criteria for a mild TBI also had an increased risk of these behavioural and emotional problems.

The University of Rochester Medical Center is one of 21 research sites collecting data for the National Institutes of Health ABCD Study. Since 2017, 340 children have been part of the 10-year study that is following 11 750 children through early adulthood. It looks at how biological development, behaviours, and experiences impact brain maturation and other aspects of their lives, including academic achievement, social development, and overall health.

Researchers hope future ABCD Study data will better reveal the impact these head hits have on mental health and psychiatric problems. “We know some of the brain regions associated with increased risk of mental health problems are impacted during a TBI,” said Ed Freedman, PhD, associate professor of Neuroscience and co-principal investigator of the ABCD Study at the University of Rochester. Freedman also led this study. “With more time and data, we hope to gain a better understanding of the long-term impact of even a mild TBI.”

Source: University of Rochester Medical Center

Categories : PaediatricsTags :

Anti-diarrhoeal Drug Loperamide Could Treat Autism Symptoms

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At present, there are no effective treatments for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which included difficulties with socialising and communicating. Using a computer analysis, researchers have discovered that a common anti-diarrhoeal drug may have potential in treating the social difficulties associated with ASD. Their findings are reported in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.

By looking at how different drugs affected ASD-related proteins in a computer model, they identified potential candidates to treat it. The most promising candidate was a commonly used antidiarrhoeal drug called loperamide was , and the researchers have an interesting hypothesis about how it may work to treat ASD symptoms, some of the most common of which involve difficulties with social interaction and communication.

“There are no medications currently approved for the treatment of social communication deficits, the main symptom in ASD,” said Dr Elise Koch of the University of Oslo, lead author on the study. “However, most adults and about half of children and adolescents with ASD are treated with antipsychotic drugs, which have serious side effects or lack efficacy in ASD.”

Repurposing drugs as new treatments

In an effort to find a new way to treat ASD, the researchers turned to drug repurposing, which involves exploring existing drugs as potential treatments for a different condition. The approach has plenty of benefits, as there is often extensive knowledge about existing drugs in terms of their safety, side-effects and the biological molecules that they interact with in the body.

To identify new treatments for ASD, the researchers used a computer-based protein interaction network. Such networks encompass proteins and the complex interactions between them. It is important to account for this complexity when studying biological systems, as affecting one protein can often have knock-on effects elsewhere.

The researchers constructed a protein interaction network that included proteins associated with ASD. By investigating existing drugs and their interaction with proteins in the network, the team identified several candidates that counteract biological process underlying ASD.

The most promising drug is called loperamide, which is commonly used for diarrhea. While it might seem strange that an anti-diarrhoeal drug could treat core ASD symptoms, the researchers have developed a hypothesis about how it may work.

From an upset gastrointestinal system to ASD

Loperamide binds to and activates a protein called the μ-opioid receptor, which is normally affected by opioid drugs, such as morphine. Along with the effects that you would normally expect from an opioid drug, such as pain relief, the μ-opioid receptor also affects social behavior.

In previous studies, genetically engineered mice that lack the μ-opioid receptor demonstrated social deficits similar to those seen in ASD. Interestingly, drugs that activate the μ-opioid receptor helped to restore social behaviors.        

These results in mice highlight the tantalising possibility that loperamide, or other drugs that target the μ-opioid receptor, may represent a new way to treat the social symptoms present in ASD, but further work is required to test this hypothesis. In any case, the current study demonstrates the power of assuming that old drugs may indeed learn new tricks.

Source: Frontiers Blog

Categories : Paediatrics Substance UseTags :

Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Impacts Persist to Pre-adolescence

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Children who were exposed to cannabis in the womb continue to show elevated rates of symptoms of psychopathology (depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions), even as they reach pre-adolescence (aged 11–12), according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The study, led by Ryan Bogdan, associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, is a follow-up to 2020 research from the Bogdan lab that revealed younger children who had been prenatally exposed to cannabis were slightly more likely to have had, inter alia, sleep problems, lower birth weight and lower cognitive performance.

In both cases, the effect is strongest when looking at exposure to cannabis after the pregnancy is known. To find out whether or not these associations persisted as the children aged, David Baranger, a postdoctoral researcher in the BRAIN Lab, revisited the more than 10 500 children from the 2020 analysis, who were an averaged of 10 years old in 2020.

The data on the children and their mothers came from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study), an ongoing study of nearly 12 000 children, beginning in 2016 when they were 9–10 years old, and their parents or caregivers.

This seemingly small change in age – from 10 to 12 – is an important one. “During the first wave, they were just children. Now they’re edging up on adolescence,” Baranger said. “We know this is a period when a large proportion of mental health diagnoses occur.”

An analysis of the more recent data showed no significant changes in the rate of psychiatric conditions as the children aged; they remain at greater risk for clinical psychiatric disorders and problematic substance use as they enter the later adolescent years.

“Once they hit 14 or 15, we’re expecting to see further increases in mental health disorders or other psychiatric conditions – increases that will continue into the kids’ early 20s,” Baranger said.

Source: University of Washington in St. Louis