Marijuana and Alcohol Use in Pregnancy

Abstract

The literature is sparse on the adverse effects of moderate alcohol consumption and marijuana use during pregnancy. Recent studies have evaluated the association of these drugs of abuse with pregnancy outcome, each using interview and medical record data of over 12000 women. Children of marijuana users were more likely to have one or more major malformations, lower birthweight, and shorter gestation than children of nonusers. However, when logistic regression was used to control for other variables, these relationships were not statistically significant. The odds ratio for major malformations does, however, remain suggestive for marijuana. The use of similar logistic regression techniques revealed that the only statistical association between alcohol intake of 14 or more drinks per week was placenta abruptio. With the exception of placenta abruptio, alcohol intake of fewer than 14 drinks weekly was not associated with an increased risk of any adverse outcome. There was no association between alcohol use at any level and the rate of congenital malformations. Recommendations based on these data are presented.