Marijuana During Pregnancy Increases Preterm Birth Risk

Australia has the highest marijuana use (twelve percent), followed by New Zealand five percent, Ireland four percent and Britain four percent.

Pregnant women must stay away from marijuana or cannabis as it could increase the risk of preterm births by five-fold, warns a new study.

"The results suggest that more than six percent of pre-term births could have been prevented if women did not use marijuana during pregnancy, irrespective of other risk factors," said lead study author Claire Roberts from Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute.

Effects of Alcohol, Marijuana on the Human Placental Development
In the United States, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is the most common preventable cause of developmental delay.

‘Using marijuana during pregnancy can trigger a five-fold increase in the risk of pre-term birth. ’

The team analyzed more than 5,500 pregnant women from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Britain.

They also considered a range of risk factors -- such as cigarette smoking, age, obesity and socio-economic status -- and their links to serious pregnancy complications.

The results found that the Australian participating center had the highest rate of women using marijuana before or during pregnancy 12 percent, followed by New Zealand five percent, Ireland four percent and Britain four percent.

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Evidence of a compromised dopamine system in heavy users of marijuana has been found by researchers in a recent study.

"Continued marijuana use in pregnancy has been independently linked to pre-term birth. Based on our findings, we consider marijuana to be a major public health concern for pregnant women and their babies," Roberts added in the paper published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology.

The proportion of very early pre-term birth was also higher, with 36 percent of marijuana users having delivered at less than 28 weeks' gestation and 64 percent at less than 32 weeks,

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Uruguay became the first country to fully legalize marijuana in 2013. Canada is expected to become the first G7 nation to do so.

The study was unable to determine whether there is a 'safe' time prior to 20 weeks' gestation to give up marijuana. “But we recommend total abstinence from marijuana during pregnancy," Roberts stated.

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The medical marijuana initiative would allow imports of medicine containing marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant's main psychoactive ingredient.

Source-IANS