Sharon Casavant, Ph.D., RN, is leading a study that focuses on cannabis use during pregnancy.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut are launching an innovative study to examine how cannabis use during pregnancy may affect birth outcomes and infant development.
Funded through UConn's Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP) Women's Health Initiative, the project is a longitudinal study that focuses on cannabis exposure in pregnant women from the first trimester of pregnancy through the first six months of their infants' lives.
The study is led by Sharon Casavant, Ph.D., RN, one of four scientists funded by InCHIP Women's Health Seed Grants that aim to support pilot projects concerning women's health.
This study builds on her recent systematic review of cannabis use during pregnancy which found that prior research on maternal exposures relied on retrospective self-reports rather than ongoing, objective measures.
"This feasibility study will allow us to move beyond self-reporting by directly measuring cannabis metabolites in urine samples," Casavant said. "It's an important step toward understanding how cannabis exposure during pregnancy may influence birth outcomes and infant neurodevelopment."
In collaboration with Dr. Chris Morosky, Director of UConn Health's OB/GYN clinic, researchers will recruit women during their first trimester. Participants will complete monthly surveys about pregnancy symptoms, health behaviors, and attitudes toward common exposures such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis products. To add accuracy, the study also includes monthly urine samples, providing an objective assessment of exposures.
The research team will then track birth outcomes and monitor infants' developmental milestones through six months of age. This study will allow investigators to assess the feasibility of recruitment and retention, and identify potential patterns between maternal health behaviors and infant outcomes.
Casavant's work is supported by several UConn initiatives. In her previous nationwide survey of women of childbearing age, Casavant explored attitudes toward cannabis use during pregnancy and conducted focus groups with healthcare providers. Findings from that project and the systematic review laid the foundation for the newly funded feasibility study.
The goal of Casavant's research is to provide healthcare professionals with stronger evidence to guide open, supportive conversations with patients about maternal health during pregnancy.
"This is about building knowledge that can help providers and patients make informed decisions together," Casavant said. "By improving dialogue, we improve care."
The study will also serve as a pilot for future research to develop and test patient and provider interventions.
