Association Found Between Marijuana Use During Pregnancy and Low Birthweight and Preterm Birth

A study involving over 360,000 mothers and their babies has shown a significant increase in the risk of low birth weight and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admissions for infants exposed to cannabis while in the womb. This research corroborates with the increase in associated risks due to the increasing frequency of cannabis use during pregnancy. Image Credit: SciTechDaily.com

This extensive study by Kaiser Permanente substantiates further evidence relating to low birth weight, premature birth, and neonatal intensive care unit admissions.

The data from the study of over 360,000 mothers and infants indicates that babies whose mothers consumed cannabis during their pregnancy had increased chances of low birth weight and being admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The results coincide with previous research demonstrating a link between prenatal cannabis use and babies born with low weight, as well as recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for expecting mothers to avoid using cannabis during pregnancy.

Furthermore, the research exposed a "dose-response" relation––meaning an increased risk of adverse health effects on the baby with increased frequency of reported cannabis use.

This study scrutinized health records from 364,924 babies born to Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) members from January 2011 to July 2020. Of these babies, 6.2% were exposed to cannabis in the womb. This data was gathered from a self-report prenatal screening questionnaire and a urine toxicology test.

The study recorded statistically significant higher odds of low birth weight, babies born small for their gestational age, premature birth, and being admitted to the NICU.

"Our analysis introduces new worries about the potential for preterm birth and NICU admissions, which are linked with immediate, highly stressful situations for the family as well as long-term harmful outcomes for the child," stated the main author of the study, Lyndsay Avalos, PhD, MPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.