A Pilot Study on the Prevalence of Marijuana Use in the High Risk Obstetrics Population at the University of Florida [02E

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in pregnancy and prevalence rates are reported to be 5–7%. With legalization of marijuana, there is concern that more women believe marijuana use is safe in pregnancy. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine prevalence of marijuana use in our high-risk obstetrics population. METHODS: An IRB approval was obtained. Pregnant women seen in the high-risk obstetrics clinic at University of Florida were invited to participate in an anonymous survey related to marijuana exposure. A total of 106 women were included in the study. RESULTS: More than a half (52.3%) of the women reported having used marijuana in the lifetime, 34.6% reported using marijuana prior to pregnancy, and 16.8% reported use after becoming pregnant. The prevalence rates of marijuana use varied by duration of pregnancy. Higher prevalence rates were noted for pregnancy of 12 weeks or less (18.2%) and 25 weeks or longer (19.4%); however, this was not statistically significant. Among the 7 women who reported using marijuana for recreational purposes, 6 used marijuana during pregnancy. Among all women who used marijuana prior to pregnancy, 48.7% continue to use after becoming pregnant and 51.3% quit. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of marijuana use in our high-risk obstetrics population was self-reported to be 16.8%, this is significantly higher than national self-reported data. Self-reported marijuana use did decrease when comparing use before and after identification of pregnancy. This pilot data illustrates the importance of continued research to determine adverse pregnancy outcomes related to marijuana exposure.