Smoking Marijuana During Pregnancy Can Lead To Poor Brain Development In Fetus: Study

A recent study reveals smoking marijuana/ cannabis during pregnancy might affect brain development of the fetus.

Researchers from Karolinska Institute, Austria, say in their  latest study that smoking marijuana during pregnancy leads to flawed growth of the nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, the brain part primarily responsible for cognitive development and memory formation in the fetus.

The researchers conducted the clinical trials both on mice and human tissues testing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the major psychoactive component from marijuana affecting brain growth. The results showed THC in particular affects the neural transmitters, the platform for communication between nerve cells and other parts of the cortex like axons and synapses.

The test results also showed that THC results in loss of Stathmin-2, the key protein responsible for establishing neuronal connectivity in brain cells. Loss of Stathmin-2 serves as a clear indication of cannabis abuse resulting in poor brain development in fetus.

According to the researchers, marijuana usage during pregnancy may not always show immediate effects in newborns but aggravates chances of developing behavioral problems and neuropsychiatric diseases later.

"Even if THC only would cause small changes its effect may well be sufficient to sensitize the brain to later stressors or diseases to provoke neuropsychiatric illnesses in those affected in the future", says Professor Tibor Harkany, in a press release. "This concerns also the medical use of Cannabis, which should be avoided during pregnancy."

 The U.S. states are reconsidering the laws associated with marijuana abuse to legalize the drug, which may lead to more substance abuse due to easy access. Marijuana was the most commonly used drug among the U.S. teens in 2010, reports medicaldaily.

An earlier study stated that marijuana usage during pregnancy can increase the chances of stillbirths by three-fold.