New research has revealed that the number of pregnant women in the U.S. using marijuana to subdue morning sickness is rising. The discovery serves as an alarm for medical practitioners due to existing literature stating that infants exposed to Cannabis have a higher risk of developing anemia, low birth weight, and being confined to neonatal intensive care.
The study also noted that prenatal exposure to the plant is correlated with impaired visual memory, impulse control, and attention as well as increased in the thickness of the frontal cortex.
The study used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. It involved 200,510 reproductive women and 10,587 expecting mothers between 2002 and 2014. The researchers found out that there was a 62 percent increase in 2014 from 2002 and that women aged between 18 and 25 were more likely to use the marijuana for morning sickness. Marijuana usage among non-pregnant women also increased by nine percent in 2014.
The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkow, said that online sources reveal that smoking pot can address pregnancy-related nausea. She noted that "doctors must be aware of the risks involved and err on the side of caution by not recommending the drug for pregnant patients." She elaborated that usage usually occurs in the first trimester of gestation which is a critical period for the fetus.
The co-author of the study, Dr. Deborah Hasin, said that "although the prevalence of past-month use among pregnant women is not high, the increases over time and potential adverse consequences of prenatal marijuana exposure suggest further monitoring and research are warranted."
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has released a recommendation for health care providers to screen pregnant women and discourage them from using cannabis and other drugs. Meanwhile, currently, 29 states in the U.S. have legalized the use of medical marijuana.
The study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association.