# Exploring the Endocannabinoid System and Child Development > **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637) > **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com) > **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/endocannabinoid-system-child-development-insights/ > **Published:** 2026-04-23T00:17:05-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-28T11:00:14-04:00 > **Clinical Summary:** Explore how the endocannabinoid system and child development are linked, focusing on maternal cannabis use and its behavioral effects on children. --- #### Clinical Takeaway Maternal [cannabis use](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-cardiovascular-health-insights-2024/) during the three months before conception through delivery was associated with behavioral and developmental differences in children, with effects varying based on whether children had autism spectrum disorder symptoms. In children with ASD symptoms, prenatal cannabis exposure showed distinct associations with developmental outcomes compared to children without ASD symptoms. These findings suggest that the relationship between peripregnancy cannabis use and [child development](https://cedclinic.com/rethinking-diagnosis-in-children/) may depend on the child’s autism status. ### #29 Associations of maternal peripregnancy cannabis use with behavioral and developmental outcomes in children with and without symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development. **Citation:** DiGuiseppi Carolyn et al. *Associations of maternal peripregnancy cannabis use with behavioral and developmental outcomes in children with and without symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development.* Autism research: official journal of the International Society for Autism Research. 2025. PMID: 39660543. **Study type:** Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov’t, P.H.S.  |  **Topic area:** Autism  |  **CED Score:** 10 Design: 0 Journal: 0 N: 4 Recency: 2 Pop: 3 Human: 1 Risk: 0 **Abstract:** Some studies report increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated symptoms with prenatal cannabis exposure. We examined whether associations of [maternal cannabis use](https://cedclinic.com/placental-biology-prenatal-thc-exposure-schizophrenia-risk/) from 3 months preconception through delivery (“peripregnancy”) with behavior and development in the offspring varied with the presence of ASD symptoms. Children ages 30-68 months with ASD symptoms (i.e., met study criteria for ASD or had ASD symptoms on standardized assessments or community ASD diagnosis, N = 2734) and without ASD symptoms (other developmental delay/disorders or general population sample, N = 3454) were evaluated with the Child Behavior Checklist and Mullen Scales of Early Learning. We examined cannabis use during three time periods: peripregnancy, pregnancy, and only preconception. Peripregnancy cannabis exposure was reported for 6.0% of children with and 4.6% of children without ASD symptoms. Preconception-only cannabis use (versus no use) was associated with more aggressive behavior, emotional reactivity, and sleep problems in children with ASD symptoms, but not in children without ASD symptoms. Cannabis use during pregnancy was associated with increased attention and sleep problems in children with ASD symptoms; these associations did not differ significantly by ASD symptoms. Peripregnancy cannabis use was not associated with child developmental abilities regardless of ASD symptoms. In summary, associations of peripregnancy cannabis use with some behavioral outcomes differed in children with and without ASD symptoms. With rising cannabis use among pregnant women, future studies that examine a range of developmental risks associated with timing and patterns of cannabis use prior to conception as well as during pregnancy could inform clinical guidance.  |   |  [View on PubMed ↗](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39660543/)[Full Text ↗](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11785473/)[DOI ↗](https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3284) [https://cedclinic.com/contact/](https://cedclinic.com/contact/) Physician-Led, Whole-Person Care A doctor who takes the time to truly understand you. Personal care that starts with listening and is guided by experience and ingenuity. 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[Learn More](https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-exposure-autism-risk/) [Endocannabinoid System Research: Cannabis & Child Development](https://cedclinic.com/peripregnancy-cannabis-exposure-child-development/) A detailed review of how cannabis exposure during peripregnancy affects child development through the endocannabinoid system. [Read the Study](https://cedclinic.com/peripregnancy-cannabis-exposure-child-development/) [Maternal Cannabis Exposure and Risk of ASD ADHD in Offspring](https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-exposure-risk-asd-offspring/) [Systematic review](https://cedclinic.com/cannabinoid-safety-efficacy-mental-health-study/) of endocannabinoid system research linking maternal cannabis use with autism and ADHD risks in children. [Explore Findings](https://cedclinic.com/maternal-cannabis-exposure-risk-asd-offspring/) Have thoughts on this? 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