Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40317448›Full record

SynthesisMaternal and child health journal2025

Fetal Cannabis Exposure and Neonatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Anna Bailey, Whitney Kerr, Zahra Alhay, Morgan Rom, Sheryl Hamilton, Janis Campbell, Katrin Kuhn, David Thompson, Jessica A Reese

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Maternal and child health journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Anna BaileyDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for American Indian Health Research, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13Th Street, Room 372, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Whitney KerrDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for American Indian Health Research, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13Th Street, Room 372, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Zahra AlhayDepartment of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Morgan RomDepartment of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Sheryl HamiltonDepartment of Health Sciences Library & Information Management, Graduate College, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Janis CampbellDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for American Indian Health Research, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13Th Street, Room 372, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Katrin KuhnDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for American Indian Health Research, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13Th Street, Room 372, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
David ThompsonDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for American Indian Health Research, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13Th Street, Room 372, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
Jessica A ReeseDepartment of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for American Indian Health Research, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13Th Street, Room 372, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA. Jessica-Reese@ouhsc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6640-6543

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCurrent literature addressing fetal cannabis exposure and neonatal outcomes is based on subjective measures with varying levels of significance. This systematic review and meta-analysis determined if neonates with fetal cannabis exposure have an increased odds of being born small for gestational age, low birth weight, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) immediately after delivery, and/or preterm.

methodsTo identify relevant articles, we searched five databases using standard search criteria. Two authors used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to exclude articles with a high risk of bias. To estimate the combined effect, we calculated pooled odd ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the Mantel-Haenszel method for dichotomous data.

resultsOf 3,390 original articles we identified through the search strategy, 13 met the inclusion criteria. This meta-analysis indicates that neonates with fetal cannabis exposure have higher odds of being small for gestational age (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.24-2.59) and/or having a low birth weight (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.05-1.89) compared to neonates without fetal cannabis exposure. The results regarding NICU admission and preterm birth were statistically inconclusive (NICU admission: OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 0.86-2.22; Preterm birth: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.97-1.71). Although the odds ratios for these associations span one suggesting a null relationship, they have an upper bound that may be clinically relevant. DISCUSSION: Based on these findings, further research, as well as an evaluation of the current public health response, is warranted. Additional research is needed to identify the association between neonatal outcomes and specific nuances of fetal cannabis exposure, such as route of ingestion, frequency of use, dose consumed, and the timing of intrauterine exposure.

Indexed as

CannabisPregnancy OutcomePrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsFemaleHumansInfant, Low Birth WeightInfant, NewbornInfant, Small for Gestational AgeIntensive Care Units, NeonatalPregnancyPremature BirthCannabisFetusLow birth weightNeonatal outcomesPregnancy

Identifiers

PMID40317448

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.