Exposure to cannabis in the womb has surprising effects on development

Infants exposed to marijuana in the womb showed higher language abilities than those who were not exposed to the drug in utero, according to a new study.

Scientists from Illinois and South Dakota were surprised by their findings, which showed that children whose mothers smoked marijuana while pregnant developed language and motor skills that exceeded those of children whose mothers did not use drugs.

Experts caution, however, that these findings do not mean pregnant women should start consuming the herb, as it has also been shown to cause neurodevelopmental problems in infants, as well as low birth weight. birth, similar to the harms associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

And although their high language and motor skills could mean that these children perform better academically than children who have not been exposed to them, more research is needed to study this association.

The authors of the study, published in the journal Frontier in Pediatrics, said: “Exposed infants demonstrated increased scores in expressive and receptive language at 12 months of age, which may translate into better academic performance .

“However, further research is needed to determine the implications of these findings later in childhood.”

The 207 mothers included in the study and their babies were assessed 12 months after the mothers submitted questionnaires about their cannabis use and their child’s development.

Cannabis use was identified as occurring early in pregnancy and during the second or third trimester.

Babies were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) assessment tool, which assesses gross motor, fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language skills.

Of the two groups of babies, 69 were exposed to cannabis in the womb and 138 were not exposed. Children exposed early in pregnancy were more likely to have improved gross motor skills.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that the scores of early-exposed infants could be between 1.75 and 13 points higher than those of unexposed infants.

Meanwhile, the range of scores for receptive language — a child’s ability to understand words, sounds and pictures — was 0.4 to nearly nine points higher among babies exposed to more marijuana. late in pregnancy than in those who were not.

Lately exposed infants may also have higher scores in expressive language – a child’s ability to use words and form sentences – which could be between 2.5 and nearly 13 points higher than unexposed infants. .

THC is the psychoactive chemical in cannabis and it can cross the placental barrier and impact fetal development.

A study published in the journal Nature Medicine examined birth registry data from Ontario, Canada, studying all live births from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2012.

It found that for every 1,000 person-years of observation, four cases of autism spectrum disorder were diagnosed in children exposed to cannabis.

Person-years reflect the total duration of observation or follow-up for all subjects included in the study, adjusted for the number of people and the length of time each was monitored.

Another study published in the journal Canadian Family Physician found that babies born to women who used cannabis suffered from a “withdrawal-like” syndrome when they were newborns, resulting in increased startles and tremors and reduced ability to adapt to light.

By preschool age, children exposed to cannabis during pregnancy began to exhibit problems with verbal and visual reasoning, hyperactivity, attention deficits, and impulsivity.

These problems were observed in both study groups and continued throughout their school years. By age 10, these children also began showing signs of depression and anxiety.

These emotional symptoms were linked to prior cannabis use and poorer outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood.

In some parts of the United States, up to a quarter of pregnant women use marijuana during pregnancy, according to a study published in the journal JAMA.

And in 2022, researchers in Canada found that one in 50 pregnant women used cannabis in legalized areas.

The same study found that expectant mothers who used cannabis were 32 percent more likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes and 13 percent more likely to need a cesarean section, increasing the risks for the mother and the baby during delivery.

The researchers behind the latest study said: “Because of concerns about impaired neurodevelopment, as well as maternal and fetal exposure to tobacco, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends avoiding tobacco. cannabis use among women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. ‘

Their research suggests that the stage of pregnancy at which the child is exposed to marijuana is likely to affect regions of the brain that include cannabinoid receptors.

Yet they did not explain why the drug might cause this benefit in some babies.

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The legalization of marijuana in the United States, which has been implemented for recreational use in 24 states, has triggered a gradual experience of the effects of cannabis use on young and old, pregnant and non-pregnant populations.

US drug authorities recently announced that they would reclassify marijuana from the Schedule 1 category, which placed it in the same category as heroin, on Schedule Three, along with testosterone and ketamine.

The proposal, which will be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), would recognize that it poses less risk of abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs, such as heroin and MDMA.

At the same time, the harms of marijuana use are becoming increasingly evident. At least 290 American children have suffered brutal, preventable marijuana-related deaths over the past decade.

The largest proportion of deaths – 95 – involved extreme violence, including the case of a Texan who murdered his girlfriend and her nine-month-old baby with a pocket knife while suffering what was believed to be be a cannabis-induced psychotic episode.

It also appears to be the driving force behind the increase in automobile collisions. A DailyMail.com/TIPP survey of 1,435 adults found that 52% said cannabis use increases the number of vehicle collisions.

Meanwhile, the number of 12.5 million drugged drivers who got behind the wheel represents a 15 percent increase from the previous year.