Thus, American researchers from the University of Berkeley (California) interviewed women who had given birth two to four months earlier. A total of 32,583 respondents were registered. Of these, 4.9% reported cannabis use during pregnancy. Of this group, 7.6% deliveries occurred prematurely, and 6.2% of the babies weighed less than 2.5 kg at birth. The researchers confirm a significant increase in the risk of low birth weight in connection with in utero exposure to cannabis.
Growing up, the little one exposed to cannabis during his fetal life will also be more prone to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Tobacco, companion of cannabis
Other risks associated with cannabis have their origins in the fact that this substance is consumed with tobacco. According to these same Californian researchers, the risk of premature delivery increases accordingly.
Tobacco also triples the risk of fetal death in utero at the start of pregnancy, and this same risk remains increased throughout pregnancy. Smoking also promotes the risk of premature delivery, caused in most cases by retro-placental hematomas, placentas inserted very low, premature rupture of the membranes: there is a dose-dependent effect here. On its own, tobacco is also known to promote low birth weight, 200 grams less on average, knowing that this risk is proportional to the degree of consumption of the pregnant woman.
Other disorders are identified in unborn children: respiratory disturbances, overweight, obesity, attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADHD), autism. Finally, the risk of unexpected infant death is multiplied by 3 or 4 due to in utero exposure to tobacco.
Note: studies on the impact of cannabis in utero remain complicated to conduct because different risk factors can induce premature delivery and the differences between the data reported by women and the reality of consumption tend to differ.
* Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
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