Study Links Marijuana Use in Pregnant Women to Preterm Birth Risks

Women who smoke cannabis or consume it via edibles while pregnant face a higher risk of health complications than those who abstain, a new study has found. According to the July 22 study published in the monthly peer-reviewed medical journal AMA Internal Medicine, researchers studied the electronic health records of 316,722 early-stage pregnancies between 2011 and 2019 and found prenatal cannabis use was associated with higher risks of complications. Some of the data suggests prenatal marijuana use was associated with a 17 percent increase in the likelihood of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension and an eight percent increase in preeclampsia. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is when the pressure in blood vessels is too high. Preeclampsia is a condition usually characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and severe swelling. It can cause serious issues during pregnancy, in some cases, even fatal complications for both mother and baby....