Stories Related to Negative Pregnancy Outcomes Associated With Marijuana Use, University Of Iowa Study Finds

IOWA CITY — As accessibility to marijuana has increased in the United States through recreational and medical legalization in recent years, some studies have shown that Americans are more likely to use the drug than they were in previous years.However, the long-term impact still is relatively unknown in certain scenarios, including pregnancy and early childhood development, says one University of Iowa researcher.But a new study from the University of Iowa, along with the University of Minnesota and a Minnesota-based health care system, may shed some light on its effects.The study, published this month in the Journal of Perinatology, has found that exposure to marijuana during pregnancy may have adverse effects on fetal growth and infant development.“You combine increased access along with the fact that active substances in cannabis has been shown to enter into fetal circulation, our concern was what impact this might have in fetal development and that it might carry over into childhood development,” said Paul Romitti, senior author on the study and professor of epidemiology at the UI College of Public Health.The researchers found that women who had cannabis in their system during pregnancy were more likely to give birth to babies who had a low birth weight.