Medical Marijuana Debate Forum - Marijuana May Be Associated with Birth Defects

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2007 Jan;70(1):7-18.

Risk of selected birth defects with prenatal illicit drug use, Hawaii, 1986-2002.

Forrester MB, Merz RD.

Hawaii Birth Defects Program, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-5157, USA.

The literature on the association between prenatal illicit drug use and birth
defects is inconsistent. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of
a variety of birth defects with prenatal illicit drug use. Data were derived from
an active, population-based adverse pregnancy outcome registry. Cases were all
infants and fetuses with any of 54 selected birth defects delivered during
1986-2002. The prenatal methamphetamine, cocaine, or marijuana use rates were
calculated for each birth defect and compared to the prenatal use rates among all
deliveries. Among all deliveries, the prenatal use rate was 0.52% for
methamphetamine, 0.18% for cocaine, and 0.26% for marijuana. Methamphetamine
rates were significantly higher than expected for 14 (26%) of the birth defects.
Cocaine rates were significantly higher than expected for 13 (24%) of the birth
defects. Marijuana rates were significantly higher than expected for 21 (39%) of
the birth defects. Increased risk for the three drugs occurred predominantly
among birth defects associated with the central nervous system, cardiovascular
system, oral clefts, and limbs. There was also increased risk of marijuana use
among a variety of birth defects associated with the gastrointestinal system.
Prenatal uses of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana are all associated with
increased risk of a variety of birth defects. The affected birth defects are
primarily associated with particular organ systems.

Replies(11)

Tylanas

replied on January 27th, 2008

Especially eHealthy

What's the risk of birth defects when NOT on any drugs?

algosdoc

replied on January 27th, 2008

Experienced User

Overall it is 3% for the US from all causes, but the numbers are much lower for significant (non-cosmetic) birth defects. The calculations performed in the study above determined the EXCESS birth defect rates due to drugs over the nominal rate

Tylanas

replied on January 27th, 2008

Especially eHealthy

So 39% of 3% is how many birth defects are attributable to marijuana?

algosdoc

replied on January 27th, 2008

Experienced User

Marijuana resulted in 39% more birth defects than would have resulted otherwise. Each child with birth defects suffers in some way- some with severe heart disease, some with deforming facial features or feet so deformed they cannot walk, and a whole host of other defects including the common genetic trisomy 21. One should not dismiss the seriousness, life long impact, or cost of even one birth defect. Check out the MD or MOD websites for more information on the horrible impact of birth defects in children.

Tylanas

replied on January 27th, 2008

Especially eHealthy

So out of 100 women, 3 normally have children with defects. 39% more than 3 is... 1.17 (so, 1) so for women on marijuana, 4 out of 100 would have children with defects.

I'm not saying defects aren't terrible, horrible things. I'm just trying to understand the study with some real-world numbers.

algosdoc

replied on January 27th, 2008

Experienced User

That may be an appropriate analysis. Then multiply that excess of 1:100 for all the 4 million births in the US each year and you come up with an additional 40,000 children born with birth defects each year in the US. Granted, extrapolation of smaller studies to US population size studies have their limitations, but at least the magnitude of the problem is framed by the massive numbers here.

Tylanas

replied on January 27th, 2008

Especially eHealthy

Thank you.

Well, as with any drug, even legal ones such as accutane and alcohol, you just plain shouldn't do it when you're pregnant.

algosdoc

replied on January 27th, 2008

Experienced User

True. What really surprised me about the study is how few people were smoking marijuana while pregnant in Hawaii. The overall incidence of smoking marijuana in the child bearing age population is over 20%.

Tylanas

replied on January 27th, 2008

Especially eHealthy

Well, they may know and understand that just like everything put into the body, marijuana will go directly to their baby and affect its development.

homerx

replied on January 28th, 2008

Moderator

No one should EVER so much as smoke tobacco when pregnant much less drink alcohol, do heroine, meth, etc. Thats just good common since and common knowledge. Risks go up for birth defects and health hazards when you add any drug, including tobacco and alcohol, into your system while pregnant. As was pointed out by Erie, the risk is minuscule but DUH! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that you shouldn't smoke or drink with a baby in you! Rolling Eyes

homerx

replied on January 28th, 2008

Moderator

algosdoc wrote:

You forgot to mention tobacco..17% more birth defects, alcohol...47% more birth defects, prescription pain killers...18% more birth defects, cocaine...87% more birth defects, crack...90% more birth defects, coffee...7 % more birth defects, fatty foods..3% more birth defects and the biggie...starving herself threw anorexia or ballemia...87% more birth defects. Lets face it, you want birth defects to all be marijuana related and the fact is that there are thousands of things a woman can put into her pregnant body that will harm a fetas and cause life long problems. No one is suggesting that a pregnant woman should smoke pot...or cigs...or drink alcohol...or pop pills...or starve herself...or not get plenty of sleep..to say that marijuana resulted in 39% more birth defects than would have resulted otherwise is just a small fragment of all the other things a mother can do to her unborn child.

The key word here is MAY...it MAY cause this or it MAY cause that. Lets deal with facts and not MAY cause...heck, breathing air MAY cause farting, eating onions MAY cause back pain, listening to The Beatles MAY cause blindness in blue eyed children and long haired dogs... Rolling Eyes

...so lets keep it real, OK?

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