Hospitalization due to Cannabis use among pregnant woman is at an increase in Canada, experts indicate. Doctors are concerned about risks, including low birth weight, preterm labor and the effects on the baby’s developing brain.
Studies conducted based on the data from 980,398 pregnant individuals in Ontario, among 691,242 peoples between January 2015 and June 2021, of those, 540 individuals were hospitalized or entered ER for cannabis use.
Hospital visits due to cannabis use during pregnancy elevated to 20 per 100,000 pregnancies. This figure is up from 11 per every 100,000 since legalization. In some cases, patients were intoxicated when they receive care, the lead researcher said.
Although the absolute increase in ER visits and hospitalization was low, there are possibly much more using cannabis and not ending up in hospitals during pregnancy. Said Dr Daniel Myran, an addiction specialist and family physician. If this is the case there may be implications to consider with regard to the child born from these pregnancies, said Myran, Bruyere research institute and Ottawa hospital.
There are patients who are addicted and unable to stop using, and about 22% are able to withdraw, he added.
There are records suggesting that individuals may use cannabis to relieve morning sickness, depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Patients are under the impression that recreational cannabis use is not too risky during pregnancy, however it is not the case, informed Dr Darine EL-Chaar, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Ottawa hospital.
Studies have clearly indicated that cannabis use during pregnancy increases risk of early delivery and low birth weight, along with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, EL -Chaar indicated
There are strong evidence indicating that cannabis use during pregnancy may contain risk of life long harm to the fetus, with regard to memory function, anxiety, hyperactive behavior and depression, society of obstetricians and gynecologists of Canada informed. When advising patients, very often the individual have a tendency to think that cannabis is a natural substance and may compare to individual’s earlier pregnancies or related pregnancies. EL Chaar often informs his patients not all pregnancies, where babies are exposed to cigarettes, alcohol, or cannabis are going to have negative outcomes, but simply informs that the percentage of negative outcomes are higher when compared to non-use.
