Parental alcohol and cannabis use before, during, and after pregnancy
Official title: Parental alcohol and cannabis before and during pregnancy: a pilot study
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11195047 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how pregnant people and their partners use alcohol and cannabis before, during, and after pregnancy to learn about timing and patterns of co-use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $222,800 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AA031765-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195047 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people who are currently pregnant (preferably early in pregnancy) and their biological fathers who can report on alcohol and cannabis use before, during, and after pregnancy.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, not planning pregnancy, or seeking immediate clinical treatment for substance use may not get direct benefit from participating in this observational pilot.
What this research studies
You and the biological father will be asked about alcohol and cannabis use before pregnancy, during each trimester, and after the baby is born so researchers can see how patterns change over time. The pilot will enroll pregnant people and their partners and collect repeated reports about whether substances were used together or separately and whether one substance replaces the other. The team will use these data to map distinct use patterns and gather feasibility information needed for a larger cohort study. Findings will help plan future research that links use patterns to birth and child development outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors give clearer guidance about combined alcohol and cannabis use around pregnancy and support prevention efforts to reduce risks to babies.
How similar studies have gone: Most prior evidence about combined prenatal alcohol and cannabis harm comes from animal studies, so this pilot is relatively novel in collecting paired human parental use data across the perinatal period.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bandoli, Gretchen E. — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Bandoli, Gretchen E.
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Investigating alcohol and cannabis use before and during pregnancy
This study is looking at how moms and dads use alcohol and cannabis before and during pregnancy to see how it might affect the baby’s development, and it’s for anyone interested in understanding the risks of these substances during this important time.
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How women use cannabis before and during pregnancy
This study looks at how women use cannabis before and during pregnancy, including different ways they consume it like vaping or eating edibles, to see how this varies with their backgrounds and local laws, and how it might affect their health and their baby's health.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.