Simulated marihuana smoking in the maternal and fetal guinea pig

Abstract

Maternal and fetal heart rate and brain wave (electroencephalogram [EEG]) changes were observed during simulated maternal marihuana smoking. The maternal heart rate change consisted of a delay in onset of an elevated heart rate, while the fetuses and newborn infants studied revealed a decrease in heart rate during the smoking period. The maternal EEG remained essentially unchanged during the smoking period. Following marihuana exposure, the maternal EEG changed to a pattern of low frequency and high-amplitude activity and in a few instances was similar to the “recovery spike-discharges” reported in other animal experiments with marihuana. The fetal EEG changed to a slow-frequency, high-voltage activity pattern during the smoking period. Following exposure to the marihuana, it changed to a lower voltage and higher frequency activity.