It may seem like an obvious guideline: Do not smoke marijuana during pregnancy. But for a long time there was not much evidence to support that advice. This is why some expectant mothers who want to smoke – especially if they used marijuana for a medical condition like morning sickness – often throw caution to the wind. There may have been lies or unsatisfied midwives, but either way, the arguments there have long been pretty thin. The tide is turning. New research shows that the answer is pretty clear: Marijuana is dangerous for the fetus, and it can lead to lower birth weight, premature birth, and an increased risk of autism.
Historically, it has been difficult for scientists to study weed and pregnancy. Marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug by the U.S. government, which is the same classification as heroin. Not only does this mean that illegal possession can land you a crime money, but it also means that scientists have to jump through a lot of hoops to study it.
Despite these limitations researchers in the late 1980s found that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, can travel across the bridge of the placenta and reach the fetus. And fetuses as young as 14 weeks of age have the primary type of receptor that marijuana clings to to affect the brain – a receptor that probably plays a role in normal brain development – so it makes sense that it can medically affect the brain. messe, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Recently, as more states have begun legalizing recreational marijuana, researchers have published more research on what happens when pregnant women use the drug. In 2017 scientists hifke more than 10,000 studies on cannabis and found that smoking weed during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight in the baby. However, they could not isolate the effect of cannabis themselves. The cause may have been the action of smoking anything, which increases the level of carbon monoxide in the blood of the pregnant woman and makes it more difficult for the fetus to get oxygen.. Other research suggests that more weeds, especially in the first and second trimesters, are more associated with low birth weight – and using cannabis less than weekly may not do the same harm, according to ACOG. (The problem with low birth weight is that newborns who weigh less than 2500g have a greater risk of some health complications such as infections and sudden childhood syndrome.)
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In a to study released last year, a team of Canadian researchers found solid evidence for another negative effect of marijuana use in pregnant women: primary birth. The team looked at a registry of a large number of births in Ontario and data on cannabis use by pregnant women. They found that 6 percent of non-users gave birth to premiums while 12 percent of users did. However, they have no data on how often and in what trimester the mother used marijuana. To complicate matters, findings of primary birth are inconsistent in whole studies, and other researchers have found that the weed either had no effect on primary birth, or that it only does so if the mothers use both weeds and tobacco, according to ACOG.
The same Canadian team used that same Ontario birth registry to investigate whether marijuana use during pregnancy leads to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. They found that mothers who used potty were about 50 percent more likely to give birth to a child with autism. Their analysis also shows a potential link between marijuana use and having a baby with an intellectual disability or a learning disability. They made these conclusions after analyzing data on self-reports of cannabis use and more than 500,000 live births from the beginning of April 2007 to the end of March 2012 in a to study that was published Monday. But even if their findings are extracted from a great deal of data, they should be treated with caution. While the team was able to account for socioeconomic status and some aspects of the mothers’ health, they were unable to record whether the mothers smoked instead as a pot, but how often they used marijuana , and when they did so during their pregnancy.
There are other effects of smoking marijuana while pregnant that make experts even less certain, as it increases the risk of stillbirth. But even if we do not have the best evidence about all possible outcomes vis-à-vis weeds and children, we will know that the drug is likely to increase the risk eat harmful. With a lack of data, it is best to avoid it. That is the advice of organizations such as ACOG and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“If women are considering cannabis use during pregnancy, for example, to control morning sickness symptoms, it will be essential to discuss this with their midwife or midwife,” said Daniel Corsi, an epidemiologist and researcher with the Candian studies. , Fatherly. “These are alternatives to cannabis [are] recommended for treatment of morning sickness, which are safe for use during pregnancy. ”
There is even less data on any damage that can occur during breastfeeding and the use of pot. However, there are limited data that THC is present in the breast milk of women who use marijuana. Since we do not know what we do not know, ACOG and AAP continue to advise against mixing breastfeeding and marijuana. Because when it comes to drugs and your baby, it’s better safe than sorry.
