Prenatal Marijuana Use & Risk of Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension
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Reviewed & Translated by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
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Posted on September 18th, 2024
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Cannabinoids in marijuana can interfere with placental development by disrupting endogenous cannabinoid and estrogen signaling. Additionally, marijuana use can lead to peripheral vasoconstriction, causing tachycardia and hypertension. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined the impact of prenatal marijuana consumption on maternal health.
The retrospective cohort study analyzed over 300,000 health records from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California database, spanning 2011 to 2019. These records were from pregnant women with an average age of 30.6 years, with over 99% delivering live births. Among them, 6.3% had used marijuana before pregnancy, with around 10% being daily users and more than 20% using it monthly. Marijuana use was confirmed through self-reports and toxicology analysis. After adjusting for demographic factors, parity, other non-cannabinoid substance use, and comorbidities, the study found that prenatal marijuana use increased the risk of preeclampsia by 8% and gestational hypertension by 17%. Interestingly, contrary to current literature, the results suggested that prenatal marijuana use might reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. The authors hypothesize that the anti-inflammatory effects of marijuana smoking may contribute to this protective effect, but further research is needed.
The retrospective cohort study analyzed over 300,000 health records from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California database, spanning 2011 to 2019. These records were from pregnant women with an average age of 30.6 years, with over 99% delivering live births. Among them, 6.3% had used marijuana before pregnancy, with around 10% being daily users and more than 20% using it monthly. Marijuana use was confirmed through self-reports and toxicology analysis. After adjusting for demographic factors, parity, other non-cannabinoid substance use, and comorbidities, the study found that prenatal marijuana use increased the risk of preeclampsia by 8% and gestational hypertension by 17%. Interestingly, contrary to current literature, the results suggested that prenatal marijuana use might reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. The authors hypothesize that the anti-inflammatory effects of marijuana smoking may contribute to this protective effect, but further research is needed.