Some pregnant women don't believe cannabis is harmful to their fetus

(Science Daily, January 21) More and more pregnant women seem to believe marijuana use isn’t harmful to their unborn children, according to a study from the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Researchers from the school reviewed six different studies conducted in the United States about the topic. The rate of marijuana use varied across the studies (for instance, in one study, about 4 percent of pregnant women admitted to using the drug within the past month, while in another study 28 percent of the women tested positive for marijuana use during pregnancy).

Women also reported not receiving enough information about the possible effects of marijuana during their pregnancy.

"One of our review findings revealed that some people don't consider cannabis to be a drug," said Hamideh Bayrampour, the study’s lead author. "With this in mind, it's especially important for health care providers to ask specific questions about cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding to help spark a productive conversation about the potential health impacts and to help support women in their decision to reduce use and quit." Read more.