Research says marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with autism in infants

In what they call the largest study to date, researchers found to use marijuana during pregnancy may increase the risk of a child developing autism.

“Women who used cannabis during pregnancy were 1.5 times more likely to have children with autism,” said study author Dr. Darine El-Chaâr.

“These are not safe findings. Avoid cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding as much as possible,” she said.

Past studies have shown that marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, impulsivity, hyperactivity, attention problems, and other cognitive and behavioral problems in children. .. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.. Pregnant women who use marijuana, One study There is a 2.3 times higher risk of stillbirth found.

“Based on that, I’m not so surprised by these findings,” said El Char. “Fetal brain development occurs throughout all gestational ages.”

The study, published Monday in Nature, reviewed all data that was born in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2012, long before recreation marijuana was legalized in Canada in 2017. It is. A study of 2,200 women who stated that they used only marijuana during pregnancy and did not mix it with tobacco, alcohol, or opioids.

This study was not aware of the amount and type of marijuana used by women during pregnancy. The study also did not know when she was pregnant or how often women used it. The researchers also said they did their best to eliminate confounders, although the study only showed associations, not causality.

Weed use during pregnancy

With the legalization of weeds and their social acceptance, healthcare researchers have found that despite the lack of studies on the long-term effects on the fetus, moms are sick in treating morning sickness and using recreation. I’m worried that you might think

Women also chose to use marijuana to avoid drugs that they felt were harmful to the baby, such as anti-nausea, antipsychotics, and opioids. Small study Pregnant women discovered by researchers at Washington State University.

El-Chaâr said managing the pain heard from pregnant mothers is the most common reason to use marijuana.

“It helps with different conditions they may have, or due to nausea and vomiting during pregnancy,” El Shahl said. “Some people use it for sleep (say) or for stress relief. Still others use it for recreation. It’s only part of their daily routine. .”

The use of marijuana by pregnant women has increased in the United States in recent decades. Ah Analysis of over 450,000 pregnant American women last year National Institute on Substance Abuse found 12 to 44 years old More than double the amount of cannabis used Between 2002 and 2017.

Most of the use of marijuana was during the first three months of pregnancy, studies found, and it was primarily recreational rather than medical.

According to El Char, early pregnancy is the most vulnerable time to the fetal brain, which may be the most sensitive period to the developing brain. Studies have found cannabis receptors in animal brains as early as 5 and 6 weeks of gestation.

“If you have cannabinoid receptors and your baby’s brain is exposed, you can assume that it could (sometimes) affect brain development,” she said.

What should I do

According to experts, if you are using marijuana and notice that you are pregnant, you should immediately discuss it with your doctor. Still, many young women are not honest, research shows. One study on women under 24 They found that the chances of screening positive for marijuana use were about twice as high as those stated in the self-report.

According to American Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the prevalence of self-reported marijuana use during pregnancy is 2% to 5% in most studies.

“Pregnant women and women who are thinking of becoming pregnant should be encouraged to discontinue the use of marijuana for medical purposes in favor of alternative therapies with more appropriate pregnancy-specific safety data. ” ACOG states in that recommendation..

“There are insufficient data to assess the effects of marijuana use on breastfeeding and lactating infants. Without such data, marijuana use is not recommended.”