Marijuana Use During Pregnancy

With more and more states legalizing recreational marijuana, there was bound to be an upswing in the number of women who are pregnant using pot.  The upswing has happened and in a significant way.

A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed national data of women ages 18 to 44.  The rate of pregnant women who had used marijuana in the past month had gone from 2.4 percent in 2002 to nearly 3.9 percent in 2014.  This represents an increase of 62 percent.

Women of younger ages (18 to 25) were the most likely to have used pot during the past month with 7.5 percent of that age group compared to only 2.1 percent of pregnant women ages 26 to 44.

Overall, during the year of 2014, there were more pregnant women (11.6 percent) who had used marijuana.

Researcher noted that even though the prevalence of past-month marijuana use among pregnant women is still relatively low at 3.85 percent, the concern is the increases of pot use by pregnant women that have steadily risen over time.  The slow but steady increase could also increase the potential for negative consequences to the developing baby by exposure to marijuana in utero.

There have been numerous studies on both humans and animals that have suggested the harmful effects a woman is taking when she chooses to use marijuana while pregnant.  At this time, even though research is still ongoing in this area, most experts, including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advise pregnant women to not use pot during pregnancy.

Research has shown that the specific effects of using pot during pregnancy is difficult to assess as some women may also be using tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.  There is also the fact that there are different types of marijuana containing different chemicals and possibly contaminants.

According to what studies have shown, it is strongly advised not to use pot while pregnant for the following reasons:

·         Whether a woman is smoking week or using marijuana edibles, the chemicals from these substances pass on to the unborn baby.  Between 10 to 30 percent of the tetrahydrocannobinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, that is in the mother’s system will pass on to the baby who is more vulnerable to its effects.

·         When a woman smokes marijuana, it increases carbon monoxide levels in the blood which reduces the amount of oxygen the developing baby receives which can alter its growth.

·         Some research has linked irritability in newborn babies to prenatal exposure to marijuana.

·         Children whose mothers used marijuana when pregnant may have issues later on with higher-order thinking, memory, problem solving, planning, attention, and controlling impulsivity.  This can lead to difficulty with learning leading to lower academic scores.

·         Week can be contaminated with other substances such as herbicides or other drugs that can put a developing baby at risk.

·         In some states where marijuana use is still illegal, using drugs during pregnancy is considered child abuse.  This can lead to a child being taken away from their mother and could result in possible criminal charges.

Bottom line

It is not worth the risk for any woman who is pregnant to engage in marijuana use at any time during her pregnancy.  This is the same advice given to women who are breastfeeding as the chemicals from marijuana such as THC can be present in breastmilk fed to the baby.

It is never appropriate to experiment using a drug such as marijuana where there is insufficient research on the long-term effects on the cognitive/mental/emotional outcome of the baby.  No woman should ever take that risk of possibly affecting their child’s brain development, saddling them with the burden of lifelong learning and behavioral issues.