METHODS: We analyzed PRAMS data for birth years 2005-2011 (n = 9,180) and describe women who smoked marijuana or hash during three time periods (12 months pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, or postpartum). The PRAMS file was linked to the CUBS three-year follow-up surveys for 2008-2014 (n= 4,044). CUBS asks the mother questions about whether her child has ever been enrolled in or received services from Early Intervention/Infant Learning Program (EI/ILP), school district special education or special needs program, or Head Start or Early Head Start. We looked at whether there was an association between smoking marijuana or hash around the time of pregnancy and the child’s enrollment in these services at any time since birth.
RESULTS:
Overall, pre-pregnancy marijuana use ranged from 17.0% to 15.1%, prenatal use ranged from 5.4% to 7.8%, and postpartum use ranged from 5.9% to 7.4% for 2005-2011 PRAMS respondents. Any marijuana use for the 7-year period was 16.8%. Among white women, 14.9% smoked marijuana during any time period, compared to 24.9% of Alaska Native women, and 9.9% of women of other race. Among teens, 33.2% smoked marijuana during any time period.
In the linked dataset, women who smoked marijuana at any time period were 1.5 times more likely than non-marijuana smokers to have their three-year-old child enrolled in Head Start (11.9% vs. 7.5%, respectively, p=0.0090). Among prenatal marijuana smokers, 13.3% had enrolled their child in EI/ILP services compared with 8.0% enrollment among non-prenatal marijuana smokers (p=0.0635).
CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies are needed to determine the health impacts associated with marijuana use around the time of pregnancy. Care should be taken to follow trends after legalization which, in Alaska, will be starting with 2015 births. The nearly significant association between prenatal marijuana use and the child’s enrollment in EI/ILP, a service focusing on developmental delays, deserves further research.