Prenatal Development and Teratogens: Cannabis Impact Analysis

This report examines the impact of cannabis, a psychoactive drug, as a teratogen on prenatal development. The student chose cannabis due to its prevalence in teenage pregnancies and potential for overlooking its harmful effects. The report highlights cannabis's detrimental effects on fetal development, including potential for autism, congenital heart defects, cognitive impairments, and low birth weight. It also discusses the increased risk of addiction in offspring exposed to cannabis in utero, as well as potential complications for pregnant women. The report references several studies, including the study which highlighted the potential for various health complications in children exposed to cannabis prenatally, such as Down syndrome and ventricular septal defect, and emphasizes the negative impact of cannabis on the psychosocial, emotional, neuromuscular, and nervous systems of the fetus.

Running Head: PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
EEFECT OF TERATOGEN ON PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
Teratogens are external agents that affects the wellbeing and health of a foetus during
pregnancy. The word is derived from the term frightening roots, which means “giving birth to a
monster” and that can harm the foetus or the embryo (Rathus, 2017). Teratogens are drugs,
alcohol, excessive amount of hormones, heavy metals, pathogen, radiation, and hazardous
chemicals. These come in contact to the foetus when the mother ingests these substances, which
can be intentional or unintentional.
The chosen teratogen is Cannabis or Marijuana, it is a psychoactive drug that comes from
a plant known as Cannabis, which is used for recreational or medical purposes. It is popularly
known for its purpose in vaporizing, used as a food ingredient and for smoking. Most of the
teenagers are a target of marijuana addiction due to its property that makes a person feel relaxed
and feel a state of euphoria with an increased libido, awareness of sensation, and change in
conscious perception. The reason for choosing this teratogen is because it is a common teratogen
during teenage pregnancy and this issue needs exposure. According to researches, 24% of
Californian teenage mothers were tested positive for cannabis and it is a matter of concern for
public health. Cannabis are used for several useful purposes as well, which is the reason for the
harmful effects of cannabis to be overlooked (Ross et al., 2015).
Cannabis are known to be a teratogen for animals, humans and cells. The target of
cannabis during prenatal development is hearts, blood vessels, brain and chromosomal
segregation. It is the reason for cortical dysfunction when the foetus is developing and reaches
beyond adolescence. It leads to autism, congenital heart defects, anencephaly, gastroschisis and
cognitive impairment in extreme cases (Reece and Hulse, 2019). When a pregnant woman
smokes marijuana during pregnancy, she poses complications and serious risks to the foetus
because its effects are detrimental to the health of the mother as well as the child. It promotes

2PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
slow fetal growth and low birth weight in the physical aspect. On the other hand, it effects the
cognitive skills that includes impairment in learning and memory, it also hampers emotional
behavior that influences the child in a negative way during adolescence. Smoking marijuana
during pregnancy is a good predictor of the child’s addiction to the same in the later stages of life
because maternal use of drugs impacts the offspring to depend on opiates. The fetal brain has
cannabinoid receptors known as CB-1 that are changed by exposure to cannabis and this change
makes the individual more vulnerable to drug addiction during adulthood. In an epidemiological
study of USA, prenatally cannabis exposed children are susceptible to downs syndrome,
ventricular septic defect, atrial septal defect (secundum type) and microtia/anotia. The babies
who are born from marijuana addicts tend to shake and startle during delivery that suggests they
have a weak nervous system. It has shown complications in pregnant women as well such as
hyperactivity, low attention span and impulsivity (Warner, Roussos-Ross & Behnke, 2014).
It is evident that cannabis as a teratogen have a negative effect on the psychosocial,
emotional, neuromuscular and the nervous system of the foetus.

3PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
References
Rathus, S. (2017). Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development (6th ed.). Boston:
Cengage Learning.
Reece, A.S. and Hulse, G.K., (2019). Explaining contemporary patterns of cannabis
teratology. Clin Pediatr OA, 4(146), pp.2572-0775.
Ross, E. J., Graham, D. L., Money, K. M., & Stanwood, G. D. (2015). Developmental
consequences of fetal exposure to drugs: what we know and what we still must
learn. Neuropsychopharmacology, 40(1), 61-87.
Warner, T. D., Roussos-Ross, D., & Behnke, M. (2014). It's not your mother's marijuana: effects
on maternal-fetal health and the developing child. Clinics in perinatology, 41(4), 877-
894.