Maternal age and trajectories of cannabis use

Abstract

Background Becoming a mother is a developmental transition that has been linked to desistance from substance use. However, timing of motherhood may be a key determinant of cannabis use in women, based on preliminary evidence from teenage mothers. The goal of this study was to identify trajectories of maternal cannabis use, and to determine if maternal age was associated with different trajectories of use. Methods This prospective study examined 456 pregnant women recruited at a prenatal clinic, ranging in age from 13-42 years old. The women were interviewed about their cannabis use one year prior to pregnancy and during each trimester of pregnancy, and at 6, 10, 14, and 16 years postpartum. Results A growth mixture model of cannabis use reported at each time point clearly delineated 4 groups: non/unlikely to use, decreasing likelihood of use, late desistance, and increasing likelihood/chronic use (Lo-Mendell-Rubin adjusted LRT test statistic = 35.7, p < .001).The youngest mothers were least likely to be in the “non/unlikely to use” group. Younger maternal age also differentiated between late desistance and increasing likelihood/chronic use, versus decreasing likelihood of use post-partum. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate that younger mothers are more likely to use cannabis across 17 years, including later desistance post-partum and increasing/chronic use. Other substance use and chronic depressive symptoms were also associated with more frequent use. These findings have implications for both prevention and treatment of cannabis use in mothers.

Maternal Age and Trajectories of Risky Alcohol Use: A Prospective Study

“…Data from three prenatal cohorts from Magee Womens Hospital were merged for integrative data analysis, ensuring adequate power for the proposed analyses (De Genna et al, 2015). These data were collected for three studies designed to examine the long-term effects of exposure to prenatal substance use, two with adult mothers (AA06390, DA03874: PI N. Day) and one with teen mothers (AA08284, DA09275: PI M. Cornelius).…”

Factores psicosociales y sociodemográficos vinculados al uso de sustancias psicoactivas en mujeres durante el embarazo. Una revisión narrativa

“…Como se muestra en la Tabla 2, sólo se encontró un estudio enfocado en el consumo exclusivo de mariguana; señala que la edad materna es un factor determinante para el uso de esta droga, pues a menor edad se reporta un mayor consumo (De Genna, Cornelius, Goldschmidt, & Day, 2015).…”

“…Es preciso preparar a médicos obstetras, pediatras, neonatólogos, parteras y enfermeras, para poder realizar una oportuna detección e intervención con las mujeres en las consultas de control prenatal (Blasco et al, 2015;Ceccanti et al, 2014;De Genna et al, 2015;Peña & Matute, 2010); sin embargo, también existe la necesidad urgente de contrarrestar las condiciones sociales, familiares e institucionales de atención de esta población vulnerable (Ceccanti et al, 2014); es preciso educar sobre las consecuencias del consumo de alcohol, tabaco y otras drogas durante esta etapa de vida, así como ofrecer intervenciones en las que se brinde información sobre los daños y consecuencias específicas del consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en las mujeres.…”

Adolescent childbirth, miscarriage, and abortion: associations with changes in alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use

“…To date, almost no studies have examined longitudinal within‐person changes in adolescent substance use from prepregnancy to postpregnancy. Two existing studies recruited adolescent mothers during pregnancy and followed them longitudinally after childbirth: greater history of substance use predicted more use during pregnancy and greater within‐person increases in use after childbirth (De Genna, Cornelius, Goldschmidt, & Day, ; Spears, Stein, & Koniak‐Griffin, ). These findings highlight the importance of contextualizing prenatal and postnatal substance use relative to use before pregnancy.…”