title: Maternal marijuana use has independent effects on risk for spontaneous preterm birth but not other common late pregnancy complications.
abstract: Widespread legalisation of marijuana raises safety concerns for its use in pregnancy. This study investigated the association of marijuana use prior to and during pregnancy with pregnancy outcomes in a prospective cohort of 5588 nulliparous women from the international SCOPE study. Women were assessed at 15±1 and 20±1 weeks' gestation. Cases [278 Preeclampsia, 470 gestational hypertension, 633 small-for-gestational-age, 236 spontaneous preterm births (SPTB), 143 gestational diabetes] were compared separately with 4114 non-cases. Although the numbers are small, continued maternal marijuana use at 20 weeks' gestation was associated with SPTB independent of cigarette smoking status [adj OR 2.28 (95% CI:1.45-3.59)] and socioeconomic index (SEI) [adj OR 2.17 (95% CI:1.41-3.34)]. When adjusted for maternal age, cigarette smoking, alcohol and SEI, continued maternal marijuana use at 20 weeks' gestation had a greater effect size [adj OR 5.44 (95% CI 2.44-12.11)]. Our data indicate that increasing use of marijuana among young women of reproductive age is a major public health concern.
authors.affiliation: Robinson Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia. Electronic address: shalem.leemaqz@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Shalem Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Leemaqz
authors.affiliation: Robinson Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Elizabeth, South Australia, Australia. Electronic address: gustaaf.dekker@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Gustaaf A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: l.mccowan@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Lesley M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: McCowan
authors.affiliation: The Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT), University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: L.Kenny@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Louise C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.affiliation: Maternal & Fetal Heath Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Central Manchester NHS Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jenny.myers@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jenny E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's & Children's Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom. Electronic address: n.a.b.simpson@leeds.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nigel A B
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Division of Women's Health, King's College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lucilla.poston@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lucilla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poston
authors.affiliation: Robinson Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia. Electronic address: claire.roberts@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Claire T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074609:Marijuana Use / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: BMI; Marijuana; Pregnancy outcome; Smoking; Spontaneous preterm birth