Effects of prenatal alcohol and cannabis exposure on neurodevelopmental and cognitive disabilities.

Substance use during pregnancy and the short- and long-term impacts of different substances on maternal, fetal, and longer-term health outcomes of individuals prenatally exposed have been the subject of much investigation. Alcohol has been recognized as harmful during pregnancy and has been clearly recognized as a neurobehavioral teratogen, and the pattern of effects has been termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. More recently, the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure have been vigorously explored as a priority research area following decriminalization/legalization of cannabis in Canada and the United States. As the data become more and more robust, we are learning that cannabis during pregnancy can have negative effects on maternal and fetal outcomes and on longer-term neurodevelopmental and cognitive functions.