Researchers from several universities and one laboratory confirmed cannabis exposure during the pregnancies of 9257 participants though frozen urine samples collected during three study visits spaced throughout the trimesters, then analyzed birth outcomes including low birth weight, preterm birth, and stillborn (1). A study published December 12th, 2023, in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at how cannabis consumed during pregnancy affected the outcomes of births (1). To establish the importance of the study, which was titled “Cannabis Exposure and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Related to Placental Function,” researchers cited the lack of knowledge about how cannabis affects pregnancy, plus the rise in cannabis use among individuals of reproductive age (1). “In this multicenter cohort, maternal cannabis use ascertained by biological sampling was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes related to placental dysfunction,” stated the abstract (1). “Cannabis use should be avoided during pregnancy to optimize maternal and neonatal outcomes,” researchers concluded in one of the key points of the study (1).

Source: Washington Post December 19, 2023 01:37 UTC