Women who smoke marijuana during pregnancy may impair their baby's growth and development in the womb.
Women who smoke marijuana during pregnancy may impair their baby's growth and development in the womb.
Poor fetal growth and reduced head circumference at birth are linked to an increased risk of problems with thinking, memory and behavior in childhood. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is known to impair fetal growth, but studies on the potential effects of marijuana have been inconclusive. To examine the relation between marijuana cannabis use and fetal growth until birth, researchers in the Netherlands followed 7,452 pregnant women, 3 percent of whom acknowledged smoking marijuana at least during early pregnancy. The women were surveyed on their use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, and had ultrasounds to chart fetal growth during the first, second and third trimesters. Overall, 214 women said they had used marijuana before and during early pregnancy; 81 percent quit after learning they were pregnant, but 41 women continued to smoke marijuana throughout pregnancy.
It was found that babies born to marijuana users tended to weigh less and have smaller heads than other infants. The longer a woman had used marijuana during pregnancy, the stronger the impact on birth size - suggesting that the drug itself was to blame. And while most marijuana users in the study also smoked cigarettes, the drug appeared to have effects over and above those of tobacco. Marijuana showed stronger effects on birth size than tobacco.
Women who had smoked only during early pregnancy had babies who were 156 grams lighter than infants born to women who had not used the drug. Women who had continued to smoke past early pregnancy had babies who were 277 grams lighter. Based on ultrasound, marijuana use only in early pregnancy impaired fetal growth by about 11 grams per week, while use throughout pregnancy slowed fetal growth by roughly 14 grams per week. That compared with a deficit of 4 grams per week with tobacco use, the researchers found. Similar patterns were seen when the researchers looked at fetal head circumference.
The findings suggest that marijuana use, even restricted to early pregnancy, may have irreversible effects on fetal growth.
Poor fetal growth and reduced head circumference at birth are linked to an increased risk of problems with thinking, memory and behavior in childhood. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is known to impair fetal growth, but studies on the potential effects of marijuana have been inconclusive. To examine the relation between marijuana cannabis use and fetal growth until birth, researchers in the Netherlands followed 7,452 pregnant women, 3 percent of whom acknowledged smoking marijuana at least during early pregnancy. The women were surveyed on their use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, and had ultrasounds to chart fetal growth during the first, second and third trimesters. Overall, 214 women said they had used marijuana before and during early pregnancy; 81 percent quit after learning they were pregnant, but 41 women continued to smoke marijuana throughout pregnancy.
It was found that babies born to marijuana users tended to weigh less and have smaller heads than other infants. The longer a woman had used marijuana during pregnancy, the stronger the impact on birth size - suggesting that the drug itself was to blame. And while most marijuana users in the study also smoked cigarettes, the drug appeared to have effects over and above those of tobacco. Marijuana showed stronger effects on birth size than tobacco.
Women who had smoked only during early pregnancy had babies who were 156 grams lighter than infants born to women who had not used the drug. Women who had continued to smoke past early pregnancy had babies who were 277 grams lighter. Based on ultrasound, marijuana use only in early pregnancy impaired fetal growth by about 11 grams per week, while use throughout pregnancy slowed fetal growth by roughly 14 grams per week. That compared with a deficit of 4 grams per week with tobacco use, the researchers found. Similar patterns were seen when the researchers looked at fetal head circumference.
The findings suggest that marijuana use, even restricted to early pregnancy, may have irreversible effects on fetal growth.
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