Prenatal pot use affects a child’s future mental health

Dennis Thompson
Health Day Reporter

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 (HealthDay News)-Pregnant woman smoking a pot pregnancy A new study found that late childhood could increase a baby’s risk of mental or emotional problems.

Marijuana Researchers report that use during pregnancy has been associated with many problems over the last decade.

Children exposed to pots in the womb were more likely to experience internalizing disorders such as: depression And anxiety, And runaway to others ADHD, A researcher was found.

These children were also more likely to have problems with socializing and sleeping well, and were at increased risk of mental problems such as: schizophrenia Or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

These risks are taken by researchers in their family life Family history Senior Researcher Ryan Bogdan said. He is an associate professor of psychology and brain science at Washington University in St. Louis.

“They are small groups,” Bogdan said. “They haven’t managed to make a big impact that increases the likelihood that children will experience these problems about twice or as much, but they exist beyond these confounding variables.”

Also, among the children studied, the use of pots by pregnant mothers, no matter how small, affected the child’s developmental process more than either. alcohol Or tobacco Bogdan also added a use that also took this into account.

“The impact of marijuana on this dataset was much greater and more consistent than the impact of alcohol and tobacco use,” Bogdan said.

This is a source of concern as marijuana is often regarded as a legitimate means of treating medical problems such as: Morning sickness“. Patricia Aussem is Vice President of Consumer Clinical Content Development for Partnership to End Addiction.

“Some pregnant women may be using marijuana for recreational purposes or to deal with it. Nausea and vomitingExposure to substances during pregnancy can have adverse effects Fetal developmentOsem, who did not participate in the study, said. “If you need help with nausea, pain, sleep or other problems, the best course of action is to talk with your healthcare provider and follow known recommendations. Be safe during pregnancy.”

The study was published on September 23 JAMA Psychiatry.. Bogdan and his college colleagues evaluated data on children born to nearly 10,000 mothers nationwide between 2005 and 2009. These children have been studied prenatally as part of adolescent brain cognitive development studies.

Researchers have found that children who have never used marijuana or who stopped during pregnancy are in a situation where the mother continues to use the pot after learning that she is pregnant. Was compared.

Researchers say that pot use during pregnancy was associated with many mental, emotional, and behavioral problems tracked by widely used screening tools such as the Child Behavior Checklist.

Marijuana chemicals Fetus In a way that changes the development of a child’s brain, Bogdan said.

Bogdan is a receptor in the brain that responds to the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system-THC, Addiction -Not expressed until about 6 weeks after human conception.

“It’s about the time most mothers in the study learned they were pregnant,” Bogdan said. Mama, who continued to use the pot, exposed those newly formed brain receptors to THC, potentially altering developmental processes, he said.

However, because this was an observational study, it could be due to other factors related to marijuana use and developmental problems, Bogdan added.

External factors may include the genetics of the parents. Family history of mood or mental problems; prenatal vitamin use, or children born early or with low childbirth weight..

In any case, Bogdan said he strongly recommends expecting mothers not to use the pot until they become more aware of the risks involved.

“These findings really suggest that clinicians and clinics should prevent their use among women who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant,” Bogdan said. .. “These data and the potential impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on offspring raises concerns about the safety of cannabis use during pregnancy.”

I also agreed.

“There are many studies showing that the use of prenatal cannabis can cause problems such as low birth weight, impulsivity, sustained attention, and learning ability problems,” Osem said. “Pregnant women, like nicotine, alcohol and other substances, should avoid using marijuana during pregnancy.”