More Research into Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Needed
Doctors currently advise pregnant women to refrain from cannabis
Cannabis use has been rising during pregnancy, according to new research. Previous research has revealed that last month cannabis use has more than tripled among pregnant women in the US between 2002 to 2020 with self-reported cannabis use increasing from 1.5% to 5.4% over the 18 years of tracked data.
Medical approaches currently advise that pregnant women refrain from cannabis due to its association with an increased risk of negative maternal and neonatal consequences and problems concerning long-term impacts on mental health.
The researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia University Irving Medical Center examined cannabis use disorder (CUD) diagnoses during pregnancy from 2015- 2020 in those aged 12-55 with ongoing insurance health insurance coverage.
The research findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and show that between 2015 and 2020, almost 900,000 pregnant women were observed. The cumulative majority of cannabis use disorder (CUD) diagnoses was 0.26%, and the yearly prevalence varied from 0.22 in 2015 to 0.27 in 2018 and 2019.
Doctors who regularly see pregnant women are in a good place to advise and monitor cannabis use and CUD, but may lack the structural support needed for any required interventions, according to the research.
This is as well as the fear that some women may have of legal consequences that are connected to revealing substance use that could hinder the amount of underestimated CUD diagnoses as well as medically relevant interventions.
“Our results highlight the need to better understand the determinants of CUD among pregnant women, including factors related to CUD diagnosis – from the severity of CUD — as well as factors contributing to diagnosis and treatment,” Silvia Martins- senior author of the study and MD, PhD, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School.
This study seems to clarify that more research is required on the use of cannabis in pregnancy to advise on prevention and intervention opportunities.
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Liz Filmer
