Marijuana During Pregnancy May Cause Memory Problems for Baby, Research Finds

We’ve seen a recent uptick of women smoking pot during pregnancy, which may be largely in part to more and more states legalizing the use of recreational marijuana. Lots of moms swear by its ability to relieve morning sickness, but the problem is there are so many question marks surrounding whether or not marijauana may harm baby’s development. Now, a recent study is providing more evidence that children born to mothers who smoked pot during pregnancy have learning and memory impairments.

Previous research has suggested this much, with another recent study claiming smoking pot leads to psychosis for baby later in life. The new information pinpoints how the drug alters the connections in the nerves in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with learning and memory.

For the study, researchers raised several groups of rats and exposed some of the females to a synthetic chemical that activated the same proteins as marijuana while they were pregnant. They used a dose equivalent to moderate-to-heavy marijuana use in humans. After examining the brains of the rats’ offspring, they found the connections between the nerves in the hippocampus were reduced in those exposed to the synthetic cannabis.

Another interesting takeaway was that they found evidence that the root of the problem was a reduction in neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM), a protein important for maintaining proper neural connection and synaptic strength. This suggests it may be possible to counteract marijuana’s effects by increasing the NCAM. More research will be needed before they are able to fully confirm this.

“Based on our research and the previous existing findings in the field, it can be said that using marijuana during pregnancy would not be a wise choice,” says Priyanka Das Pinky, PhD. “However, it is also notable that the observed effect in the offspring can vary according to their age and according to the trimester during which they were exposed to the drug as well as dose and route of administration of the drug.”

Pinky’s advice to avoid marijuana during pregnancy aligns with a bunch of other experts’ thoughts on the topic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously warned expecting moms against smoking pot, explaining the active chemical in the drug can harm baby’s development. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends women steer clear of marijuana altogether while pregnant or nursing.

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