Marijuana Use While Pregnant Can Affect The Unborn Child

Can using marijuana during pregnancy affect the unborn child?

Yes, using marijuana during pregnancy can negatively affect the brain development of the unborn child. Research has found several concerning impacts:

• Prenatal cannabis exposure can cause attention, social, and behavioral problems in children that persist into early adolescence (ages 11-12) and beyond for some people.[1]

• THC, the main psychoactive component in cannabis, can cross the placenta and potentially affect fetal brain development.[1][2]

• Studies in animal models show that THC exposure during pregnancy alters the fetal epigenome, affecting gene regulation and expression in ways consistent with neurobehavioral conditions like autism spectrum disorder.[2]

• Human studies have found that prenatal cannabis exposure is linked to:
  • Decreased pro-enkephalin mRNA levels in the fetal striatum.
  • Altered opioid receptor expression in the amygdala and thalamus.
  • Impaired executive functioning, attention deficits, and visuoperceptual integration issues in offspring.[3]

• Brain imaging studies have found altered brain morphology, particularly in the frontal cortex, in children aged 6-8 who were exposed to cannabis prenatally.[4]

• Long-term effects include potential impacts on cognitive flexibility, information processing speed, visual-motor coordination, and lower IQ in adolescents and young adults.[3][4][5]

Furthermore, there are several long-term health impacts on children whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy:

• Mental health and behavior issues: Children exposed to cannabis prenatally have a higher risk of developing anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity, and symptoms of depression and anxiety by ages 3-6 years.[6][7][8]

• Cognitive impairments: Prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with deficits in verbal reasoning, memory tasks, language comprehension, visual and perceptual functions, impulse control, problem-solving, and attention span.[9]

• Academic performance: Affected children tend to have lower global achievement scores, particularly in reading, spelling, and math.[9]

• Brain development: Imaging studies have revealed altered brain morphology, especially in the frontal cortex, in children aged 6-8 who were exposed to cannabis prenatally.[3]

• Substance use: By age 14, children of mothers who used cannabis heavily during pregnancy reported using cannabis more frequently and starting at an earlier age compared to unexposed children.[6]

• Stress sensitivity: Maternal cannabis use is linked to increased cortisol levels and decreased heart rate variability in children, indicating higher stress sensitivity.[7]

• Potential immune system effects: Cannabis use during pregnancy was associated with lower expression of immune-activating genes in the placenta, which may have long-term implications for immune function.[7]

To protect the mental health of future generations, pregnant women should avoid using marijuana due to the short- and long-term negative impacts of marijuana on the unborn child. 

References

1. “Prenatal cannabis exposure associated with mental disorders in children that persist into early adolescence.” National Institutes of Health, 12 Sep 2022.

2. Rideout, Nicole. “THC use during pregnancy linked to changes in fetal development.” Oregon Health & Science University, 6 July 2023.

3. Wu, Chia-Shan, et al. “Lasting impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure and the role of endogenous cannabinoids in the developing brain.” Future Neurology, 1 July 2011.

4. Renard, Justine, and Konefal, Sarah. “Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding.” Canadian Centre of Substance Use and Addiction, 2022.

5. Goldschmidt, Lidush, et al. “Prenatal marijuana exposure and intelligence test performance at age 6.” Journal of American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, March 2008.

6. Renard, Justine, and Konefal, Sarah. “Clearing the Smoke on Cannabis – Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding.” Canadian Centre of Substance Use and Addiction, 2022.

7. Hurd, Yasmin. “Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Impacts the Placenta and May Affect Subsequent Child Development.” Mount Sinai, 15 Nov 2021.

8. Carroll, Linda. “Cannabis use during pregnancy may cause mental health problems in children.” NBCNews, 12 Sept 2022.

9. Shukla, Samarth, and Doshi, Harshit. “Marijuana and Maternal, Perinatal, and Neonatal Outcomes.” StatPearls, 14 Aug 2023.