Marijuana use during pregnancy has once again been shown to hurt unborn children.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University published a study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics this week analyzing data on marijuana use during pregnancy from 2021 through 2024.
Researchers determined that marijuana is associated with babies suffering from low birthweight, being small for their gestational age, being born prematurely, and even dying during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
Unfortunately, marijuana has been found time and time again to be harmful to unborn children.
A 2022 study published in JAMA Pediatrics showed children and adolescents face an increased risk of mental disorder if their mothers used marijuana during pregnancy.
A 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers In Pediatrics found marijuana use during pregnancy could decrease a newborn’s birthweight by approximately one-third of a pound.
The study also found newborns exposed to marijuana in utero suffered from smaller head circumference — which could indicate inadequate brain development during pregnancy.
And a 2024 study found women who used marijuana during pregnancy faced 631% greater risk of fetal death.
All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
