Cannabis in pregnancy
- Marijuana use during pregnancy
- Why do women use marijuana during pregnancy?
- Methods of use
- Dangers of using marijuana during pregnancy
- Risks for pregnant women
- Risks for fetal development
- After pregnancy: marijuana while breastfeeding
- CBD and pregnancy
- FAQ
Across Canada, in some US states, and in other places around the world, the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana has given a growing number of people free access to it.
This raises questions about topics such as combining marijuana with other drugs and intoxicants, combining marijuana with various health conditions, and using marijuana during pregnancy.
This last issue is causing increased concern among doctors. They are seeing a growing number of patients who consume cannabis or its concentrates. These include many women who smoke marijuana during pregnancy (as well as consuming it in the form of edibles and other methods) to control conditions such as morning sickness.
While many women insist that marijuana is effective in relieving common pregnancy-related discomforts, research suggests that expectant mothers should refrain from using it during pregnancy—and even while breastfeeding after the baby is born.
Marijuana use during pregnancy
How many women use marijuana during pregnancy? Studies conducted over the years have produced widely varying figures. One study of pregnant women in a government food supplement program in Colorado suggested that nearly 20 percent of women consume marijuana during pregnancy. Other estimates range from 3 to 30 percent.
Statistics published in late 2018 by JAMA Pediatrics estimate that the number of women using marijuana during pregnancy has doubled in the last 20 years, with this study putting the current number at around 5 percent.
Whatever the actual numbers are, many experts are certain that any statistics obtained are likely to be lower than the reality, as many pregnant women are reluctant to report marijuana use, especially where cannabis is not legal.
Marijuana is probably second only to alcohol and tobacco in the ranking of substances used by pregnant women, leading to real concerns about its effects.
Why do women use marijuana during pregnancy?
If it is true that a large number of women consume marijuana during pregnancy, the question arises as to why this is the case.
While some recreational users simply cannot quit marijuana even when they are pregnant, other women turn to cannabis to treat common pregnancy ailments. Some women feel that marijuana works better than the prescription or over-the-counter medications offered by their doctors.
Since women are often hesitant to ask their doctors about the risks versus benefits of smoking marijuana during pregnancy, they turn to the internet for information and advice.
Marijuana and pregnancy have become a controversial topic. Many people advocate for its safety. When searching the internet, you will come across many social media pages and groups dedicated to women who choose to use marijuana for medical purposes during pregnancy. Below are a few of the many difficulties that marijuana use helps with:
Morning sickness
One of the most common reasons women consume marijuana during pregnancy is to cope with morning sickness, general nausea, and low appetite. In addition to simply not feeling well, another reason is concern about inadequate nutrition for the pregnant mother—especially when prescription anti-nausea medications fail.
Although cannabis has been studied as an effective treatment for nausea in chemotherapy patients, it has not been studied as an antiemetic in pregnant women. Nevertheless, researchers found that out of a selection of 400 cannabis dispensaries in the state of Colorado, 277 of them recommended cannabis to pregnant women as a treatment for morning sickness.
Pain
Some expectant mothers use marijuana to help with pain—either pain they suffered from before becoming pregnant or back pain, for example, that has developed or worsened during pregnancy.
For these women, cannabis provides relief even when over-the-counter creams and painkillers have failed.
At the same time, they feel that cannabis provides a better alternative to opioids and other strong prescription painkillers.
Anxiety and insomnia
Hormonal fluctuations and changes in the body can cause anxiety, irritability, and an inability to sleep during pregnancy. This makes marijuana an attractive treatment, as it has long been studied for its ability to calm anxiety and promote sleep.
Strains high in CBD are particularly effective for this, and some women who used marijuana during pregnancy claim that it was the only solution that helped them cope with this problem during this period.
Methods of use
It has been well known for many years that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is not only harmful to the mother, but also to the developing fetus. Some studies suggest that smoking marijuana carries the same risks in terms of carcinogens and other toxins, leading some pregnant women to choose to vaporize marijuana or consume edibles or tinctures to avoid inhaling smoke.
However, vaping, edibles, and tinctures still require the consumption of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. These cannabinoids enter the mother’s bloodstream, cross the placenta, and reach the fetus. Many experts believe that ingesting these compounds—especially THC—could be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.
The dangers of using marijuana during pregnancy
Since marijuana has been legalized in many places and is often used as an effective treatment for various illnesses and ailments, many people have come to believe that it is a natural substance that can be used safely in all circumstances, including pregnancy.
Marijuana is both a medicine and a recreational substance—and like any other substance, it can have an impact on both the mother and her baby. What are the effects of smoking marijuana during pregnancy? Unfortunately, evidence shows that marijuana use is far from harmless for pregnant women and developing fetuses.
The dangers are outlined in the 2018 guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which warned women against using marijuana in any form during pregnancy.
Dangers for pregnant women
While some women use marijuana to treat morning sickness and certain other discomforts that occur during pregnancy, there is evidence that cannabis can cause or exacerbate other problems, leading to additional discomfort or even dangerous health conditions.
A 2015 study published in the British Medical Journal found that pregnant women who are already at higher risk for anemia are at even greater risk if they use marijuana before or during pregnancy. The same study found that cannabis use increases the risk of miscarriage.
Another potential problem caused by marijuana use during pregnancy is the risk of fainting and dizziness. This may be due to increased heart rate and decreased blood pressure—two common side effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
In addition to all of these things, impaired memory and coordination can contribute to the impaired brain function that women may experience during pregnancy.
Risks to fetal development
If marijuana can affect a pregnant mother, what about her baby? Does smoking marijuana affect pregnancy?
Research shows that using marijuana during pregnancy can reduce blood and oxygen flow through the placenta. There are also concerns about how THC and other cannabinoids may affect the baby itself. After a mother uses cannabis, the substances pass through the placenta, causing the baby’s blood THC levels to rise to one-third to one-tenth of the mother’s blood THC levels.
The same British Medical Journal study, which examined anemia, marijuana, and pregnancy, also found that children born to women who used marijuana during pregnancy were smaller and often required time in intensive neonatal care.
Numerous studies show that marijuana has a negative impact on the adolescent brain, with some research linking cannabis use in teenagers to lower IQ scores. Based on these findings, researchers also believe that it is not healthy for the brains of unborn babies.
Studies show that exposure to marijuana during pregnancy can have lasting effects on a child after birth.
In an article published in the journal Future Neurology, researchers wrote about how prenatal exposure to cannabis causes a range of negative effects in infants, from exaggerated reactions to bad habits.
Studies have also found that infants whose mothers used marijuana during pregnancy suffered from abnormal sleep patterns and increased muscle tremors. As the children grew older, they exhibited impaired performance, inattention, and hyperactivity.
After pregnancy: marijuana during breastfeeding
Even if a woman refrains from using marijuana during pregnancy, many believe it is safe to start using it again once the baby is born—even while breastfeeding. There have been few studies on the effects of marijuana use on breastfeeding, and those that have been conducted have produced highly contradictory results.
Two small studies from the 1980s produced conflicting results, with one showing no signs of growth retardation and the other showing developmental delays in infants whose mothers consumed cannabis while breastfeeding. (One note: in the second study, the mothers also consumed marijuana during pregnancy.)
One thing is certain: marijuana passes into breast milk. Because THC binds to fat, breast milk is a particularly suitable medium for it.
A 2018 study published in Pediatrics outlined how THC was detectable in 34 breast milk samples from 50 women who used marijuana. Stool samples from infants of mothers who used marijuana showed an accumulation of THC metabolites.
Although the amount of THC in breast milk is low, scientists are unsure whether even low levels are harmless. “We found that the amount of THC that a child could potentially receive from breast milk was relatively low, but we still don’t know enough about the drug to say whether or not there is a harmful dose for a child, or whether there is a safe level of dosage,” said Dr. Christina Chambers, lead researcher of the study, to UC San Diego Health.
Chambers also pointed out that the THC content in today’s marijuana is much higher than it was in the 1980s, when the original studies were conducted. The research found that THC levels in the 1990s — a decade after the first breastfeeding studies — averaged 4 percent, while the average THC content in 2014 was 12 percent.
CBD and pregnancy
While THC consumption carries specific risks, many women are considering using cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. CBD has been studied for its ability to reduce nausea, suppress pain, calm anxiety, and promote restful sleep—many of the issues that plague women during pregnancy.
Unfortunately, scientific studies on CBD oil and its effects on pregnancy are too insufficient for doctors to be unequivocally for or against its use.
Studies that have been conducted suggest that CBD may reduce uterine contractions. Although the study was conducted on cells outside the body, it raised questions about whether CBD can reduce contractions while a woman is pushing.
Meanwhile, another study on CBD and pregnancy found that CBD may reduce the protective functions of the placenta, meaning that foreign compounds can more easily pass through the placental barrier and reach the fetus.
Until further studies are conducted on the effects of CBD oil on pregnancy—and specifically on pregnant women—many doctors will hesitate to recommend CBD, as well as advise their patients to avoid it.
FAQ
Cannabis and pregnancy are hot topics, and the internet is flooded with information about THC and pregnancy, as well as discussions about CBD oil and pregnancy. Here are some questions that often come up when it comes to marijuana use during pregnancy.
1. Is it common for women to smoke marijuana during pregnancy?
Estimates of the number of women who consume marijuana during pregnancy range from 3% to 30%. Given that marijuana and pregnancy are such controversial issues, experts believe that the actual numbers are likely higher, with many women hesitant to discuss it with their doctors.
2. What are the benefits of smoking marijuana during pregnancy?
Many women say that smoking marijuana during pregnancy (or consuming it through vaping or edibles) has helped them with issues such as morning sickness, anxiety, pain, and insomnia. However, studies conducted over the years suggest that the risks outweigh the benefits.
3. Is smoking marijuana during pregnancy harmful?
Using marijuana during pregnancy is a personal choice, but studies on cannabis and pregnant women reveal possible risks. These include the possibility of miscarriage, lower birth weight, infants with increased startle reflexes and abnormal sleep patterns, as well as hyperactivity and impaired performance in young children.
4. What about vaping marijuana or consuming CBD during pregnancy?
While smoking marijuana introduces inhaled toxins into the body, vaping or consuming edibles made from marijuana during pregnancy still introduces THC into the bloodstream. As for the use of CBD oil during pregnancy, there are not yet enough studies available to prove or disprove its safety.
Author: Elena Moreau
Photo: AI
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