Maternal Early Pregnancy Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Metabolites Correlate With Newborn Resting‐State Functional Connectivity

ABSTRACT

Growing evidence in preclinical and clinical models suggests that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is associated with changes in brain functioning and behavior. This observational longitudinal study examines these associations using biological measures of PCE in a sample of Black mother‐infant dyads ( N  = 42), who have historically been underrepresented in developmental neuroimaging studies. Maternal urine samples collected during pregnancy (8–14 weeks of gestation) were assayed for 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ ⁹ ‐tetrahydrocannabinol (COOH‐THC) metabolites, providing a biologically verified measure of prenatal cannabis exposure. Newborns (57% female) completed a resting‐state fMRI scan and were assessed using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale at approximately 1 month postpartum. We performed voxelwise seed connectivity analyses using seeds in the bilateral hippocampus, insula, and caudate. We found that COOH‐THC levels in early pregnancy were significantly associated with altered connectivity patterns in the hippocampus, insula, and caudate in infants. These functional connectivity patterns, however, were not correlated with indices of newborn neurobehavior. These preliminary results suggest that cannabis exposure early in pregnancy may impact neural connectivity shortly after birth, with effects that withstand the influence of co‐occurring maternal psychosocial factors.