Intrauterine cannabis exposure tied to adverse birth outcomes
Canada: A recent study in Addiction revealed an association between prenatal cannabis use and lower birth weight, neonatal ICU (NICU) admission in newborns, and preterm births. However, cannabis-exposed infants are not at greater risk of birth defects or death within one year, including sudden unexpected infant death.
"There is little evidence that prenatal cannabis exposure adversely affects cognitive or behavioural outcomes in early childhood, with the exception of attention and externalizing problems," the researchers wrote in their study.
First author Ms. Maryam Sorkhou comments, “The global increase in cannabis use among women of reproductive age also extends to pregnant women. We know that THC, the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, can cross the placenta from mother to fetus and bind to receptors in the fetal brain.
Our study adds to that knowledge by showing that prenatal exposure to cannabis heightens the risk of several adverse birth outcomes.”
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