A Quick Explainer On Marijuana And The Reproductive System
Your body actually has a system that mediates the effects of cannabinoids when they enter your bloodstream and helps your reproductive system function: the endocannabinoid system . Specifically, the ECS plays an important role in implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Because of this connection, researchers need to continue studying how reproductive function is impacted when the ECS and its receptors are activated by cannabis in the bloodstream, especially since results are mixed in terms of potential complications like reduced fertility and pregnancy loss.
The authors of studies researching cannabis and fertility agree that theres much more work to be done, plus a need for additional studies on humans not only our furry friends to fully understand the topic.
Final Verdict To Smoking Weed While Pregnant
An active smoker that is planning to get pregnant , is advised to speak with a medical expert for more advice and guidance. More side effects, benefits, and implications of smoking weed during pregnancy will be exposed, so one can decide whether it is bad or not. Doctors also guide women through each pregnancy stage monitoring when its better to continue or discontinue smoking weed. In the end, the choice is optionable to make in the best interest of a woman and a baby.
The effect of smoking weed during pregnancy is more fatal for a baby. There is a higher influx of carbon monoxide, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide which will also be transferred to the fetus. The damage could be more severe as the chemicals could easily cross the placenta, may impact the development of a baby. Some of the effects which smoking pot during pregnancy can cause are:
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Is It Safe To Smoke Marijuana During Pregnancy
No. If you look at the research and literature available, you will see that its not a good idea. Although your child may not turn out to have any cognitive problems as a result of you smoking pot, its not worth the risk. Most experts would agree that exposing a developing fetus to marijuana isnt a smart idea because it may have lifelong effects on the childs brain development.
Many marijuana users may remain skeptical because there is a lot of falsehood and propaganda regarding THC. However, this study is not something to be skeptical about. They examined aborted human fetuses from mothers that smoked marijuana. They found that the THC played a significant role in causing deficits in brain development. Is it really worth putting your child at risk for lifelong development problems just because you want to smoke? No.
What are the chances that your child will turn out totally messed up as a result of you smoking during pregnancy? Pretty slim. Although the likelihood that your child will end up with difficulties as a result of your smoking marijuana is relatively low, why risk it?
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Are Pregnant Women Using Cannabis
While we dont have data on how common cannabis use is during pregnancy, results from the 2016 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed 10-20% of women of reproductive age had used cannabis during the preceding 12 months.
Recent literature from overseas shows the number of women who become pregnant while using cannabis increased by as much as double from 2002 to 2017.
This is likely driven in large part by the legalisation of cannabis in many parts of the world. In turn, increasing social and medical acceptance of its use has led to an overall perception cannabis is a safe drug.
In places where cannabis is legal, cannabis dispensaries sometimes promote it for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. But there are no studies evaluating whether its effective in this context, let alone whether its safe.
A recent study found one in three pregnant women didnt think cannabis could harm their baby.
But our research adds to a growing number of animal and human studies suggesting the opposite.
Using Cannabis While Pregnant Does Not Impair Childrens Cognition Decades Of Studies Suggest
Stock – a father and son dressed as dragons play in their living room.
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Across the US, children and their parents routinely face separation and other forms of punishment due to legal and medical policies around prenatal cannabis exposure, and the notion that cannabis use during pregnancy may harm childrens development.
But according to a review of research to date, theres no evidence to support this belief about cannabis, nor the inarguably harmful policies which rely on it. After nearly six years of comparing study results, researchers at Columbia University, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Swinburne University have found that prenatal cannabis exposure does not lead to cognitive impairment in children, based on data from decades worth of studies on this issue.
Published this month in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, the systematic review revealed that a vast majority of studies on this topic found no significant statistical differences between kids who were reportedly exposed to cannabis during pregnancy, and those who were not. Less than 5% of comparable studies in this area showed any statistical difference between childrens scores on cognitive tests importantly, these included both slight dips and improvements in scores, and all but 0.3% of study results still fell in the normal range.
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Can Using Marijuana During Pregnancy Cause Problems For Your Baby
Yes. When you use marijuana during pregnancy, THC and other chemicals can pass through the placenta to your baby. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies your baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. Chemicals from marijuana also may pass to your babys brain.
Researchers are continuing to study the effects of marijuana use during pregnancy. Women who use marijuana may smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or use other street drugs, making it hard to know exactly how marijuana affects pregnancy. Some studies suggest that if you use marijuana during pregnancy, your baby may have problems, including:
If you use marijuana during pregnancy, your baby can have problems after birth and may need to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit . A NICU is the nursey in a hospital where sick newborns get care. These problems include:
- Withdrawal symptoms, like tremors , seizures, vomiting, slow weight gain or long periods of crying after birth. These symptoms usually go away within the first two weeks after birth.
- Problems with sleeping.
- Problems with behavior, memory, learning, problem-solving, depression and paying attention.
Smoking Pot While Pregnant Represents A Danger To Your Unborn Child Please Avoid It
Now we can answer the question. No, it is not safe to smoke marijuana/weed/pot while pregnant.
Despite this, many women do. About 1 in 20 women in the United States reports using marijuana while pregnant. You might think, Ill switch to vaping, that eliminates the smoke. True! Unfortunately, this still introduces THC to the baby through your bloodstream.
We know its hard to give up a habitespecially if you think it helps your health . When pregnant however, youre making decisions for two. Marijuana use is one habit we recommend you do give up. For your babys sake, if nothing else. It represents a risk to your babybut its one you can control.
Now, its not as dangerous as a substance like meth. Thats horrible for you and our baby! The two are miles apart. Nevertheless, marijuana can still endanger an unborn, highly vulnerable baby.
Other, safer options do exist to help with morning sickness and pain. Ask your gynecologist for their recommendations.
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Risks To A Childs Brain Development
Use of cannabis during pregnancy may affect a childs brain development, behaviour and mental health into adolescence and early adulthood. The effects may be permanent. If a mother uses cannabis daily, some of the risks for the child may be:
Age 0 3 years:
- May try and/or use cannabis earlier
- Continue to be hyperactive, impulsive and less attentive
Smoking In First Four Months Of Pregnancy ‘does Not Harm The Baby’
Middle-class women who smoke in early pregnancy do almost no harm to their unborn baby, researchers claimed last night.
Only women from poorer backgrounds damage their babies by smoking, because they tend to combine it with alcohol and a poor diet.
The study by the London School of Economics also casts doubt on the traditional view that smoking during early pregnancy does the most harm to the baby.
If women stop smoking by the fifth month the impact on the baby is negligible – and even if they carry on it has surprisingly little impact on birthweight.
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The study may come as a relief to mothers such as Kerry Katona and Kate Garraway, who have come under attack for smoking while pregnant.
But it was criticised last night by charities, which said earlier research clearly linked smoking with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth and cot death, as well as breathing problems.
The Government advises pregnant women not to smoke but 20 per cent do.
The babies of mothers who smoke weigh an average 7oz less than those born to mothers who do not. Children with low birthweight are more likely to die early or have developmental problems.
But the author of the LSE study, Emma Tominey, says smoking in early pregnancy makes little difference and most damage is done in the final third of pregnancy, when babies gain the most weight.
She claims that if all pregnant women quit smoking, the number of low birthweight babies would fall only by an eighth.
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Alternatives To Morning Sickness Treatment
Morning sickness, and especially hyperemesis, can be extremely uncomfortable and debilitating. Many moms wonder if smoking weed is a viable alternative, but as Dr. Jones described above, there isnt evidence that smoking weed will help with morning sickness, nor is it safe for you or your baby.
Instead, for basic cases of morning sickness, try lifestyle and dietary changes. Eating smaller, more frequent meals, staying away from strong smells and triggering foods, and getting plenty of rest can all help ward off the worst symptoms of morning sickness.
For more extreme cases of morning sickness and hyperemesis, ACOG recommends FDA-approved medication to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.Talk to a doctor about what medications are safe and available to you.
Smoking Weed During Pregnancy: Safe Spot Or Danger Zone
There is a reason why marijuana is one of the most illegal drugs consumed all over the world. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , marijuana is the most commonly consumed drug in the United States with 37.6 million users in 2016 but this is not a question of the legal implications of smoking marijuana while pregnant even though 1 in 20 women are reported to be smoking pot while pregnant. This is a critical analysis of how marijuana use during pregnancy can affect you and your baby. While some studies have downplayed the effects of the use of marijuana while pregnant, attributing the dangers more to tobacco, other doctors would advise to avoid it altogether just so to ensure the womans safety and the safety of a baby as well.
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How Marijuana Exposure Affects Developing Babies Brains
As states have begun to legalize marijuana, its use has been more openly discussed. While the effects of other commonly used drugs, such as alcohol, have been studied extensively, the effects of marijuana especially on developing babies during pregnancy have been much less studied and less widely publicized. This relative silence from the scientific community has affected the publics opinion on the safety of marijuana: 70 percent of U.S. women think there is slight or no risk of harm to the baby from using marijuana during pregnancy. Expectant mothers may use marijuana rather than prescription drugs during pregnancy to relieve pain because they feel natural or home remedies are a safer option than prescription drugs. However, just because something is natural doesnt mean it is any safer or a better alternative to well-studied prescription drugs. This seems to be the case for marijuana. Given that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy, understanding its risks and impacts on the developing fetus is important.
Its important to note that some behavioral outcomes may not be completely related to fetal marijuana exposure. Children of marijuana users may have grown up in a different social environment with more lax views on drugs, contributing to their increased drug use.
As marijuana continues to be legalized, we should expect to see more studies on its health effects and safety.
What If You Smoke After The Baby Is Born
Once the baby is born and your body is yours again, you may assume its safe to pick the habit right back up again but that might not be true.
Some experts consider THC to be a developmental neurotoxin, which means a child whose mother smoked might have trouble with memory, attention, controlling impulses, and school performance.
Secondhand marijuana smoke may also be just as damaging as secondhand smoke from cigarettes.
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What This Means For You
If you smoked pot before you got pregnant, you can put any worries that it will affect your pregnancy or your baby to rest. There is no evidence that smoking marijuana before you were expecting will hurt your fetus.
It could, however, hinder your attempts at trying to conceive if you’re still in the “wanting to get pregnant” phase, so it’s best to kick the habit as soon as you start trying.
Bottom line: It’s not safe to smoke pot while you’re pregnant because of the risk of early labor, pregnancy complications and effects on your child in utero and later in life.
If youre looking for alternate ways to treat morning sickness, especially if it’s severe, ask your health care provider for suggestions there are natural remedies safer than marijuana as well as medications that have been approved by the Food & Drug Administration .
Depending on the nature of your anxiety, your doctor can recommend a combination of therapies, and, if necessary, medication thats safe for you and your baby.
If you are smoking marijuana during pregnancy, make sure you still visit the doctor regularly. Never skip your prenatal appointments because youre worried about revealing your drug use. Your doctor should be your partner in making sure your baby-to-be is healthy.
- What to Expect When You’re Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
- What to Expect Before Youre Expecting, 2nd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
How Does Smoking Marijuana During Pregnancy Affect The Fetus
It doesn’t. No medical professional will ever tell you it’s ok to smoke marijuana, pregnant or not. There have been no controlled studies in the US because the government won’t fund them. They only thing they have to work off of are situations where babies have been born sick and the mother had admitted to smoking marijuana. They attribute these findings to marijuana not telling us that this mother was also, drinking, smoking cigarettes, smoking crack, and any number of other things. When I was pregnant, I looked elsewhere for my information. this “Melanie Dreher RN PhD Canabis use in pregant women”.
I had serious problems eating throughout my pregnancy and felt sick the whole time and I was very worried about the development of my baby. I decided to smoke some weed when the perscriptions my doctor gave me didn’t work. I gave birth to a perfect 8lb 12oz baby girl who is now 5 months and developing faster than any other baby I have ever seen. Don’t listen to these weed hating fools. Take it from a mom who knows and has had her baby’s best interest at heart since day 1.
Okayy honey, whoever wrote this above, is TOTALLY wrong. Babys can shreink by parents smoking weed in birth. It causes heart problems and mis-carriages. And what kind of mother would smoke weed during there pregnacy. I’ll tell you one thing you and your baby could have died. Your very crazy!!!!!!!!
Real Info:
- Cannabis Use In Pregnancy – Dr. Melanie Dreher
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Factors Associated To Cannabis Use During Pregnancy
Heterogeneous results have been obtained from different studies, this is probably related to differences in sample populations, study designs used and cultural differences from the geographical locations in which these studies are carried out.
El Marroun et al. can not find any strong association with demographic characteristics as age, ethnicity or presence of psychopathology with cannabis use during pregnancy in the study he performed in Rotterdam. But it is described a strong association with biological fathers cannabis use and being unmarried. Religion is described as a protective factor. From this sample 32% of women used cannabis before being pregnant, 29% before and during pregnancy, but just 06% of women decided to continue cannabis use throughout pregnancy. This last group had a lower educational level .
They also find out that history of cannabis addiction makes 2.77 times more likely to continue cannabis use during pregnancy also, women with a frequent cannabis use are more likely to continue it than those who use it monthly .
The knowledge of these associated factors to cannabis use during pregnancy may be useful in order to identify future mothers to provide with quality information about the possible consequences of prenatal exposure to cannabis .
Can Marijuana Use During And After Pregnancy Harm The Baby
More research is needed on how marijuana use during pregnancy could impact the health and development of infants, given changing policies about access to marijuana, as well as significant increases over the last decade in the number of pregnant women seeking substance use disorder treatment for marijuana use.83 One study found that about 20% of pregnant women 24-years-old and younger screened positive for marijuana. However, this study also found that women were about twice as likely to screen positive for marijuana use via a drug test than they state in self-reported measures. This suggests that self-reported rates of marijuana use in pregnant females may not be an accurate measure of marijuana use.84 Additionally, in one study of dispensaries, nonmedical personnel at marijuana dispensaries were recommending marijuana to pregnant women for nausea, but medical experts warn against it.
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