Wednesday 23 November 2022 11:11 PM One in 50 women admit using cannabis while pregnant - raising risk of premature ... trends now

Wednesday 23 November 2022 11:11 PM One in 50 women admit using cannabis while pregnant - raising risk of premature ... trends now
Wednesday 23 November 2022 11:11 PM One in 50 women admit using cannabis while pregnant - raising risk of premature ... trends now

Wednesday 23 November 2022 11:11 PM One in 50 women admit using cannabis while pregnant - raising risk of premature ... trends now

One in 50 pregnant women use cannabis in places where the drug is legal, a major study suggests — despite the major health risks it poses to babies.

Researchers in Canada, where marijuana can be used recreationally, surveyed 1.2million mothers-to-be over six years.

Twenty-thousand admitted to using the drug while carrying their child, which is likely to be an underestimate because some women may not have told the truth.

Analysis of their medical records showed that cannabis use was linked to a 70 per cent risk of any major birth defect and a 15 per cent increased risk of stillbirth.

Women who used marijuana while pregnant were also 85 per cent more likely to have a preterm birth, which can lead to health complications for the baby.

Researchers at the Perinatal Services British Columbia said in the study: 'Additional measures are needed to inform the public... of the inherent risks of cannabis exposure in pregnancy.'

Fears are growing a rising number of American women are using the drug while pregnant. 

Surveys suggest as many as seven per cent of women in the US while expecting, but in California the rate is up to 20 per cent in some age groups.

Cannabis was legalized recreationally in Canada in October 2018. In the US, 21 states have now given the drug the green-light for recreational use, with Maryland and Missouri joining the list just this month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges pregnant women not to use cannabis, because of the health risks. It comes after a major study warned last week that marijuana legalization triggers rises in alcohol use. 

A total of 20,000 mothers-to-be out of the 1.2million surveyed in the six-year study admitted to using the drug while pregnant (stock image)

A total of 20,000 mothers-to-be out of the 1.2million surveyed in the six-year study admitted to using the drug while pregnant (stock image)

The link between recreational marijuana use and alcohol consumption was most significant among younger adults 18 to 24, though the association between the two is likely not a product of college partying.

The link between recreational marijuana use and alcohol consumption was most significant among younger adults 18 to 24, though the association between the two is likely not a product of college partying.

In the study — published today in PLOS One

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