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The association between the legalization of recreational marijuana and both small for gestational age births and NICU admissions in Colorado

Journal of Perinatology volume 39, pages 1165–1174 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To determine the association between recreational marijuana legalization and both small for gestational age (SGA) births and neonatal ICU (NICU) admissions in Colorado.

Study Design

Using interrupted time series analysis, we compared the incidence of SGA births and NICU admissions pre-/post-recreational marijuana legalization. Secondary analysis adjusted for marijuana outlet density (MOD) in maternal county of residence.

Results

We analyzed 269,922 mother–infant dyads. SGA birth risk dropped 7% immediately post-legalization (p = 0.04), but there was no slope difference between cohorts. SGA birth risk for high MOD dyads was 1.4x that of dyads with no outlets (p < 0.001) and 1.2x that of low MOD dyads (p = 0.002). There was no immediate effect on NICU admission risk, but the slope increased 1%/month post-legalization (p < 0.001) including a 1%/month increase for low MOD and 3%/month for high MOD dyads.

Conclusions

Incidence of SGA births in Colorado did not change following recreational marijuana legalization. NICU admissions increased post-legalization.

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Funding

This work was Supported by NIH/NCATS Colorado CTSI Grant Number ULI TR001082.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Justin Lockwood

  2. University of Colorado, Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science (ACCORDS), Aurora, CO, USA

    Angela Moss

  3. University of Colorado - Denver, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO, USA

    Alyssa Beck, Isaiah Francis & Emma Schmoll

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Erica Wymore

Authors
  1. Justin Lockwood
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Contributions

JL is a Pediatric Hospitalist who assisted with study design and data analysis. He has approved the final manuscript as submitted. AM is a biostatistician who assisted with study design and data analysis. She has approved the final manuscript as submitted. AB assisted with study design and data analysis. She has approved the final manuscript as submitted. IF assisted with study design and data analysis. He has approved the final manuscript as submitted. ES assisted with study design and data analysis. She has approved the final manuscript as submitted. EW is a neonatologist who assisted with study design and data analysis. She has approved the final manuscript as submitted.

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Correspondence to Justin Lockwood.

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Lockwood, J., Moss, A., Beck, A. et al. The association between the legalization of recreational marijuana and both small for gestational age births and NICU admissions in Colorado. J Perinatol 39, 1165–1174 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-019-0416-8

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