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Warning on Danger of Smoking Marijuana While Pregnant
May 30, 2007

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Research Summary

Smoking marijuana during pregnancy raises the risk of fetal brain damage, new research suggests.

Bloomberg News reported May 25 that researcher Ken Mackie of the University of Indiana led a team that studied the effects of marijuana on neurons in mouse brains. They found that the drug helps determine how brain cells make connections -- a fact that could have some bearing on fetal brain development.

Previous studies have shown that babies born to marijuana-smoking mothers experience some cognitive impairment. "This is gross speculation, but if the synaptic connections are a little off, then the higher-level behavior might be a little off," said Mackie.

Endocannabinoids are part of the brain system acted upon by marijuana; when researchers blocked the chemicals in gestating mice, it seemed to increase the formation of neural connections. "The obvious implication is that prenatal exposure to marijuana can change patterns of connectivity in the developing brain," said Anatol Kreitzer, an assistant professor at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease at the University of California at San Francisco.

The research was published in the May 25, 2007 issue of the journal Science

Reference:
Berghuis, P., et al. (2007) Hardwiring the Brain: Endocannabinoids Shape Neuronal Connectivity. Science, 316(5828): 1212-1216; DOI: 10.1126/science.1137406.
This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by vgoulds on 27 Jun 08 02:13 PM EDT
I wonder if there's a connection to this re: dramatic increase of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in recent years? The last workshop I attended shared research is now looking into early fetal/brain development and how pathways/connections are different in children with ASD.

Posted by lord enki on 23 Apr 08 05:17 PM EDT
I agree... all it says is "a fact that could have some bearing on fetal brain development." "bearing" On the Dictionary.com 1. the manner in which one conducts or carries oneself, including posture and gestures: a man of dignified bearing. So this could mean the brain could actually be healthier.. and the baby might be higher in IQ?

Posted by betta on 24 Mar 08 11:18 PM EDT
So, how is this a danger?? Define, "a little off." This article is poorly written. What changes in behavior? I could interpret this as better behavior. More accurate studies have been done on women in Jamaica, who use marijuana in teas in more realistic doses.

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