School achievement in 14-year-old youths prenatally exposed to marijuana

Abstract The relation between prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) and school achievement was evaluated in a sample of 524 14-year-olds. Women were recruited during pregnancy and assessed, along with their offspring, at multiple phases from infancy to early adulthood. The sample represents a low-income...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurotoxicology and teratology 2012-01, Vol.34 (1), p.161-167
Main Authors: Goldschmidt, Lidush, Richardson, Gale A, Willford, Jennifer A, Severtson, Stevan G, Day, Nancy L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescent
Biological and medical sciences
Cannabinoids - adverse effects
Cannabis - adverse effects
Cohort Studies
Comorbidity - trends
Drug addictions
Emergency
Female
Humans
Intelligence - drug effects
Intelligence - physiology
Intelligence Tests - standards
Learning Disorders - chemically induced
Learning Disorders - diagnosis
Learning Disorders - epidemiology
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Marijuana Smoking - adverse effects
Marijuana Smoking - epidemiology
Medical Education
Medical sciences
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - chemically induced
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - epidemiology
Prenatal marijuana exposure
School achievement
Toxicology
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Summary:Abstract The relation between prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) and school achievement was evaluated in a sample of 524 14-year-olds. Women were recruited during pregnancy and assessed, along with their offspring, at multiple phases from infancy to early adulthood. The sample represents a low-income population. Half of the adolescents are male and 55% are African American. School achievement was assessed with the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) Screener (Psychological Corporation, 1992). A significant negative relation was found between PME and 14-year WIAT composite and reading scores. The deficit in school achievement was mediated by the effects of PME on intelligence test performance at age 6, attention problems and depression symptoms at age 10, and early initiation of marijuana use. These findings suggest that the effects of PME on adolescent achievement are mediated by the earlier negative effects of PME on child characteristics. The negative impact of these characteristics on adolescent achievement may presage later problems in early adulthood.
ISSN:0892-0362
1872-9738
DOI:10.1016/j.ntt.2011.08.009