Expectant women who smoke pot may face an increased risk of problems during pregnancy, according to new research out of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Researchers with the facility’s Division of Reproductive Sciences have found marijuana-like compounds can alter genes and biological signals that are critical to the formation of a normal placenta during pregnancy and may contribute to pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.
The findings, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, also found the compounds – called endocannabinoids – disrupt the movement of early embryonic cells important to a healthy pregnancy, posing a danger to mother and child.
"The findings of our investigation raise concerns that exposure to cannabis products may adversely affect early embryo development that is then perpetuated later in pregnancy," said Sudhansu K. Dey, who helped lead the study involving laboratory mice.
"Also, given that endocannabinoid signaling plays a key role in the central nervous system, it would be interesting in future studies to examine whether affected cell migration-related genes in early embryos also participate in neuronal cell migration during brain development."
The study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health.