Cannabis use in pregnancy linked to low birthweight and intensive care

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/b-cui040116.php

Public Release: 5-Apr-2016
Cannabis use in pregnancy linked to low birthweight and intensive care
As drug gains social acceptance, doctors and women need to be better informed, say researchers
BMJ

Use of cannabis during pregnancy is linked to low birthweight and the need for intensive care, reveals an analysis of the available evidence, published in the online journal BMJ Open.

As cannabis becomes more socially acceptable, it's important that prospective mums-to-be and clinicians are fully up to speed on the potential harms of using the drug during pregnancy, caution the researchers.

Cannabis "remains the drug of choice in developed and developing countries," with up to 5% of 15-64 year olds around the world thought to use it, the researchers point out.

While it never used to be a major cause for concern, recent research has pointed to links between the drug and an increased risk of road traffic accidents, psychosis, HIV, hepatitis, infective endocarditis and TB. Less is known, however, about its possible effects on fetal growth and development.

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Analysis of the pooled data showed that mums- to-be who used cannabis were 36% more likely to have anaemia than women who didn't use the drug.

Infants exposed to cannabis in the womb were 77% more likely to be under weight at birth and twice as likely to require intensive care as those whose mums had not used cannabis during their pregnancy.

The research in the analysis included observational studies, making it very difficult to draw firm conclusions about cause and effect. And the researchers were not able to extract data on whether any of the study participants used other illicit drugs or how much alcohol they drank--factors known to be associated with a higher risk of low birthweight and premature birth.

Nevertheless, they conclude: "There does appear to be negative consequences associated with in utero exposure to cannabis, including a decrease in birthweight and a need for placement in [intensive care]."

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tags: drug use, drug abuse