In 2021, it's estimated that there were 3,659,289 births — up 1% from 2020, the first increase since 2014.

Unfortunately, that means more than 300,000 of those babies were exposed to marijuana in utero and will pay a price for their moms’ indulgence.

A 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 9.8% of women admit to using marijuana during pregnancy. And a new study out of Washington University in St. Louis shows that many of their kids will have mental and emotional disorders as they approach their teen years.

The research, published in the journal Pediatrics, extended earlier findings from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. That study showed that young kids exposed in utero to marijuana suffered from lower birth weight, sleep problems, and lower cognitive performance.

The new study looked at 11- and 12-year-olds in the ABCD study. It reveals that as the kids got older, they began to have psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. The researchers add that it's reasonable to expect even more psychological disorders will develop in exposed kids as they get into their 20s.

Marijuana's psychoactive ingredient THC is not a benign, feel-good substance. It's a powerful drug that can alter brain development in a fetus.

And smoke of any kind interferes with a fetus’ ability to "breathe," and damages a child's lungs and brain.

If you are pregnant, weed pot out of your garden of delights, and give your child a chance to have the best life possible.