Study Finds Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Can Restrict Fetal Growth

A recent Canadian study involving rats suggests that using marijuana during pregnancy can impact fetus development.

Researchers at Western University and Queen’s University published a study on Friday with the results of an animal model that involved giving rats three milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) daily. The study found that for pregnant rats, the daily dose caused fetal restriction and decreased the birth weight by 8%. Further, it found daily cannabis use in rats resulted in a 25% reduction in the size of the brain and liver.

The news comes as cannabis use among pregnant women is rising. A self-reported cannabis study released last year by Kaiser Permanente found that approximately 3.4% of women surveyed in 2017 used marijuana during their pregnancies, compared with 1.9% in 2009.

Source Fool.com