Maternal marijuana use and neonatal morbidity

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Neonatal Health
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Marijuana use is rising among pregnant individuals.
• The association between prenatal marijuana exposure and neonatal outcomes remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and risk factors of marijuana use during pregnancy.
• To evaluate if marijuana use is independently linked to adverse neonatal outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of term deliveries over 4 years.
• Compared pregnant individuals with and without marijuana use (self-report or urine drug screen).
• Assessed composite neonatal morbidity including low birthweight, NICU admission, low Apgar score, and low umbilical artery pH.

Main Results:

• 8.4% of 8138 women used marijuana during pregnancy.
• Marijuana users were younger, more likely to be African American, and used tobacco/alcohol/other drugs.
• Adjusted analyses showed no significant increase in composite or individual markers of poor neonatal outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Prenatal marijuana use is prevalent.
• Marijuana use may not be an independent risk factor for poor neonatal outcomes in term pregnancies.