Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.
I'm surprised as to why any "school project" will necessitate questions such as, if marijuana doesn't affect the baby, could the mother use it to help with their symptoms? Anyway, the answer to your questions is that marijuana use (in any form, synthetic or traditional) during
pregnancy is definitely harmful to the pregnancy and can have several adverse effects on the baby.
There is evidence that women who use cannabis during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to babies with lower
birth weight, delayed commencement of breathing, exaggerated
startle response, tremors, poorer eye-sight, poorer ability to adapt to new aspects of the environment, and even have an increased risk of a congenital heart abnormality called
ventricular septal defect. There is also research evidence that children of mothers who used cannabis while pregnant have poorer verbal, memory and reasoning ability; poorer motor skills and shorter length of play; and are more likely to be fearful, impulsive, inattentive, hyperactive and delinquent.
Wish you all the best.
Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist