Increased legalization of cannabis and changing perceptions of its safety have corresponded with an increase in prenatal cannabis use in the US. Pregnant women report using cannabis to help with sleep, depression, stress, morning sickness, and pain during pregnancy and may regard the substance as a safer alternative to other medications. In the current study, researchers investigated the effects of prenatal cannabis use on pregnant women.
To do so, they assessed 316, 722 pregnancies from 250, 221 unique individuals in Northern California between 2011 and 2019. The sample comprised 37.4% White individuals, 26.3% Hispanic, 6.3% Black, and 26.5% Asian/ Pacific Islander. Participants were screened for prenatal cannabis use, defined as self-reported use of the substance during early pregnancy or a positive toxicology test result.
Overall, 6.3% of women screened positive for prenatal cannabis use, with 0.6% using cannabis daily, 0.7% weekly, 1.5% monthly or less, and 3.4% at an unknown frequency.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found that prenatal cannabis was linked to an increased risk of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, weight gain greater and less than guidelines, and placental abruption. They noted no association with conditions such as eclampsia, placenta previa, and placenta accreta.
"The results of this cohort study suggest that prenatal cannabis use was associated with several adverse maternal health outcomes during pregnancy. Continued research is needed to understand whether characteristics of prenatal cannabis use (eg, dose, mode, and timing) moderate these associations,” wrote the researchers in their study.
There were limitations to the research. As the sample was limited to insured women in a large healthcare organization in Northern California, they may not apply to uninsured groups or those in a different geographical location. The researchers also did not identify whether or not prenatal cannabis use continued after pregnancy recognition.
Sources: EurekAlert, JAMA Internal Medicine