Marijuana Use during Pregnancy

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a considerable rise in the prevalence of marijuana use during pregnancy in the United States. Our study aimed to thoroughly review the current prenatal and postnatal studies and to evaluate the harmful effects of cannabis use during pregnancy. Our literature review has demonstrated that the use of cannabis can have various detrimental effects on development, effects that show up at various developmental stages, including the prenatal, newborn, and adolescent stages. Serious prenatal impacts include poor birth weight, anemia, and other long-term impacts such as poor neurocognitive development. Adolescents whose mothers used cannabis during pregnancy have been reported to suffer from decreased attention, increased hyperactivity and impulsivity, and the earlier onset of substance use. Cannabis use during pregnancy is of great concern, and further research is needed to understand and prevent the harmful prenatal and postnatal effects of cannabis.