Study finds pregnancy and weed a dangerous mix

A study from Adelaide University has found smoking marijuana around the time of pregnancy more than doubles the chance of a premature birth.

Researchers have released the results of a study into risk factors that affect a woman's likelihood of going into early labour - including smoking marijuana before conception.

It is widely known that smoking cannabis during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth before 37 weeks, but Professor Claire Roberts from Adelaide University's Robinson Institute says this study is the first to recognise that smoking the drug before conception also has an effect.

"If you think about it, a pregnancy starts with an egg meeting a sperm and the quality or the health of your eggs is going to depend a lot on what you did prior to conception," she said.

"Certainly other work that we're doing and that other groups are doing is showing that pre-conception is a very important time in determining outcome for pregnancy."

Professor Roberts says women who smoke marijuana are also more likely to smoke cigarettes and that adds to the risk.

"Women who smoke marijuana either prior to or during pregnancy may also do other risky behaviours, like maybe drink alcohol and maybe partake in other illicit drugs," she said.

"What our data analysis has shown, though, is that marijuana has independent effects."

Professor Claire Roberts says marijuana use is particularly harmful for women in the three months before pregnancy.

"We also asked them about things that they were doing during pregnancy, but it turned out that using marijuana prior to pregnancy had a more significant effect than even smoking it during pregnancy," she said.

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Study finds pregnancy and weed a dangerous mix