Marijuana use during pregnancy again tied to adverse outcomes in infants
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Research published in JAMA Network Open found that marijuana exposure during pregnancy was associated with a number of adverse outcomes for the baby.
A pregnant mom’s exposure to marijuana increases negative neonatal outcomes such as:
- preterm deliveries (almost 30 percent increased risk),
- NICU admission (38 percent increased risk),
- low birth weight (double the risk), and
- lower Apgar scores (which assess a newborn’s health right after birth) in babies.
One study author told HealthDay News, “We now have a very high level of evidence to say that smoking marijuana during pregnancy is harmful, and we can no longer state that we just don’t know,” a study author said.
The findings are based on a review of 16 studies that included more than 59,000 patients.
“We now have a very high level of evidence to say that smoking marijuana during pregnancy is harmful, and we can no longer state that we just don’t know,” said study author Dr. Greg Marchand. He is a surgeon at the Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery, in Mesa, Ariz. “Deciding to smoke marijuana during your pregnancy is also deciding to do something that can harm your baby.”
Women sometimes smoke pot during pregnancy to relieve morning sickness and other medical conditions, such as pain and anxiety. But the chemicals in marijuana can pass through the placenta, directly affecting the developing fetus.
Marchand thinks that women who use pot will have to decide if continuing to use it is worth the potential harm to their unborn baby.
Remarkably, 34 percent to 60 percent of women who use marijuana keep using it during pregnancy. Many women cite the belief that marijuana use is relatively safe during pregnancy among other reasons for continuing use.
Obviously, it is not.
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