1 in 8 infants in West Virginia exposed to substances in the womb

+ all hail the e-bike US Edition - Today's top story: Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America [View in browser]( US Edition | 27 February 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Summerlike heat sweeps across the US]( - [Frustrated at work? Read this ancient Indian text]( - [How Trump paints himself as an 'outlaw hero']( Lead story The use of psychoactive substances during pregnancy has been on the rise for years, spurred on by the opioid epidemic and the tide of marijuana legalization across the country. Many people mistakenly assume that cannabis products are safe to use during pregnancy to help manage morning sickness, vomiting, sleep issues and more. As a result, cannabis is now second only to alcohol as the most used psychoactive substance during pregnancy. But a growing body of research is documenting the harms that cannabis and other substances – including opioids and stimulants – have on the developing fetus. As with alcohol, these substances are linked to stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, and delays in learning and language development, among other adverse outcomes. Epidemiologist Amna Umer from West Virginia University has been studying the [changing landscape of substance use during pregnancy](. Prenatal substance exposure is a growing problem across the U.S., she notes, but certain areas are seeing staggering rates. In Umer’s home state of West Virginia, she and her team found in a recent study that prenatal substance use was nearly 50% higher than the national rate, and about 1 in 8 infants born there had been exposed to substances in the womb. One brief note: If you visit our [home page]( today, you’ll notice that we’ve given it a new (and we hope improved!) design. We want to thank The Conversation’s global platform team in Australia for the months of work that went into this effort. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for further improvements. Amanda Mascarelli Senior Health and Medicine Editor Substance use during pregnancy can lead to a broad array of harmful effects. Liudmila Chernetska/iStock via Getty Images Plus [Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America]( Amna Umer, West Virginia University Many people wrongly assume that cannabis use during pregnancy is safe. Research is increasingly documenting a host of serious health harms from prenatal exposure to cannabis and other substances. Environment + Energy - [E-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air]( Christopher R. 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