Fetal Exposure to Cannabis and Childhood Metabolic Outcomes: The Healthy Start Study

Abstract Objective: To assess the impact of fetal exposure to cannabis on adiposity and glucose-insulin traits in early life. Research Design and Methods: We leveraged a subsample of 103 mother-child pairs from Healthy Start, an ethnically diverse Colorado-based cohort. Twelve cannabinoids/metabolites of cannabis (including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) were measured in maternal urine collected at ~27 weeks’ gestation. Fetal exposure to cannabis was dichotomized as exposed (any cannabinoid > limit of detection [LOD]) and not exposed (all cannabinoids < LOD). Fat