In an examination of over 4,300 pregnant women in the United States, a new study led by the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia has found that 5.7 percent of women reported using marijuana during the last month of their pregnancy.
According to the authors, marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with several adverse effects such as low birth weight, fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and long-term neurodevelopmental complications. However, nearly 71 percent of women who did use marijuana in the last month of their pregnancy believed there was little to no risk in doing so. The authors also found that even more women used marijuana during their first trimester, but use decreased as their pregnancies progressed. The vast majority of these women live in states were medical marijuana is legal.
“Prenatal marijuana use is a modifiable risk factor,” the authors write. “Clinicians should be equipped with the necessary training, tools, and resources to offer appropriate screening, patient education, and care for women who use marijuana during pregnancy. In a constantly changing legal landscape surrounding marijuana, it becomes imperative to provide clear and unambiguous messaging regarding the adverse effects of marijuana use during pregnancy.”
In addition to the University of Georgia, the research team included scholars from the University of South Carolina, the University of Kentucky, and Ohio University.