Marijuana In Pregnancy

[Michael Komorn]

Marijuana in Pregnancy

 

June 30th, 2010

 

Came accross these comments on an interesting topic

 

The use of marijuana in pregnancy is a contentious issue and, as an experienced midwife, a topic of particular personal interest.

It is known that tobacco smoking restricts the growth of the baby in the womb and, as the majority of weed smokers use tobacco too, it can be difficult to identify any specific effects caused by the cannabis as distinct from those caused by marijuana mixed with tobacco.

However, today I came across a Dutch study into marijuana use in pregnancy, published at the beginning of this year (2010), which purports to give some answers.

The study acknowledges that cigarette (tobacco) smoking is known to impair fetal growth; however, in a study of 7,000 women, of whom 3% reported smoking marijuana, it was found that the marijuana-using mothers gave birth to lower weight babies with smaller head-circumferences. Furthermore, the study also found that the longer a woman had smoked marijuana the stronger the impact on birth weight, a fact researchers say suggests weed was to blame for this effect.

I have problems with this finding because it still doesn’t isolate marijuana use as the one contributing factor. A far more useful study would be to look at women who do not smoke marijuana. We know that burning herbs produces toxins, hence the increase in other methods of administration, such as vaporizers.

The researchers say:

And while most marijuana users in the study also smoked cigarettes, the drug appeared to have effects over and above those of tobacco. In fact, marijuana showed stronger effects on birth size than tobacco, the investigators report in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

But my contention is that this could be the effect of marijuana combined with tobacco or burned marijuana. This is certainly an area ripe for study give the increased use of medical marijuana for a variety of health conditions – and in particular for nausea, which is, of course, a known disorder of early pregnancy.

And, almost as an afterthought, the researchers note that ‘pregnant women who use marijuana may have other factors in their lives – such as a less-than-healthy diet or chronic stress — that could contribute to poor fetal growth.’

My personal point of view has to be that the jury is still out. And I am intrigued that this is a study led by psychiatrists…

 

Michael Komorn

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[MI Compassion]

I posted a study and videos on this very subject a couple of months ago, you should take a look at my topic that I posted here:

 

http://www.michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/19227-marijuana-and-pregnancy-study-video-dr-dreher-phd/page__p__167099__fromsearch__1#entry167099

 

I am sure you will find it very interesting.

[ernst]

Honostly I think mm should be treated just as any other drug in THIS case ( prego). My main concern being that..... Do pregnant women take vicodin when pregnant ? Do pregnant women drink when pregnant ? Well I'm sure there are some dumb(alot) women out there poppin pills and drinking. Women are supposed to nuture themselves when pregnant they take vitamins and eat weird foods like hotdogs mixed with watermelon.....I don't think pregnant women should be putting anything in there system. And if your pregnant and can't stop smoking cigarrets can't out the bottle down or feel the need to smoke mm everyday of your pregnancy then mayne you shouldn't be pregnant in the first place.

[Guest Mr_smith]

Seriously?? Bottom line.. don't smoke weed when you're pregnant.

Regaurdless of how justifiable it is, don't do it.

[xxsesimeseedxx]

Seriously?? Bottom line.. don't smoke weed when you're pregnant.

Regaurdless of how justifiable it is, don't do it.

 

I agree. I think it would be too difficult to conduct a study on women that ONLY vaporize or ONLY eat medibles while they are pregnant. There are just too many factors to consider in order to say that it is actually SAFE to use MJ while pregnant. I still like hearing about the studies tho!

[MightyMightyMezz]

Here's an abstract from the study MI Compassion posted:

 

Pediatrics, February 1994, Volume 93, Number 2, pp. 254-260.

American Academy of Pediatrics

 

From the Schools of Nursing, Education, and Public Health, the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Received for publication Sep 21, 1992; accepted Jun 30, 1993.

Reprint requests to (M.D.) School of Nursing, the University of Massachusetts,

111 Arnold House, Amherst, MA 01003.

Pediatrics (ISSN 0031 4005). Copyright © 1994 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 

 

Prenatal Marijuana Exposure and Neonatal Outcomes in Jamaica:

An Ethnographic Study

Melanie C. Dreher, PhD; Kevin Nugent, PhD; and Rebekah Hudgins, MA

 

ABSTRACT.

 

Objective. To identify neurobehavioral effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on neonates in rural Jamaica.

 

Design. Ethnographic field studies and standardized neurobehavior assessments during the neonatal period.

 

Setting. Rural Jamaica in heavy-marijuana-using population.

 

Participants. Twenty-four Jamaican neonates exposed to marijuana prenatally and 20 nonexposed neonates.

 

Measurements and main results. Exposed and nonexposed neonates were compared at 3 days and 1 month old, using the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale, including supplementary items to capture possible subtle effects. There were no significant differences between exposed and nonexposed neonates on day 3. At 1 month, the exposed neonates showed better physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to reach organized states. The neonates of heavy-marijuana-using mothers had better scores on autonomic stability, quality of alertness, irritability, and self-regulation and were judged to be more rewarding for caregivers.

 

Conclusions. The absence of any differences between the exposed on nonexposed groups in the early neonatal period suggest that the better scores of exposed neonates at 1 month are traceable to the cultural positioning and social and economic characteristics of mothers using marijuana that select for the use of marijuana but also promote neonatal development. Pediatrics 1994;93:254-260; prenatal marijuana exposure, neonatal outcomes, Jamaica, Brazelton scale supplementary items.

 

 

[Otsego County Caregiver]

My wife would occasionally take one puff or two before bed while pregnant with our daughter, and our daughter was over 8 lbs, 21 inches long, and her head size was off the charts and still is. Now at 18 months old, there is nothing wrong with her whatsoever, she sleeps all night, has a vocabulary of about 100 words or more, has been sick only once, eats like a normal toddler, and everyone we talk to say she's very advanced for her age.

 

Takes after her mother, I guess. LOL.

 

Anyway, my anecdotal evidence puts the validity of the findings in the OP in question, IMO.

[peanutbutter]

Anyone want to guess what marijuana does to morning sickness?

 

I guess that it's better to just have the mother continue with the morning sickness. Nothing bad there.

 

Or maybe get some of those great pills the doctor will give you for morning sickness .. Oh wait!! What are the side effects of those pills? Not to mention how do you eat a pill in the middle of upchucks?

[sgy96]

completely agree with mmj use linked with morning sickness. i have smoked mmj with 3 pregnancies, and cigs with 2 of those. the result healthy, full-term babies. the 2 with cigs weighed over 9 lbs and today are very advanced academically. the oldest is considered gifted/talented. the one without cigs weighed just over 8lbs. mmj allowed me to eal and keep food down as the expanding uterus pushes your stomach into your throat!

[GanjaWarrior]

Wow i find some of these post to be disturbing. Its funny how people can be ignorant to the facts and jump up and act like they should be running the DEA.....

"Honostly I think mm should be treated just as any other drug in THIS case ( prego). My main concern being that..... Do pregnant women take vicodin when pregnant ? Do pregnant women drink when pregnant ? Well I'm sure there are some dumb(alot) women out there poppin pills and drinking. Women are supposed to nuture themselves when pregnant they take vitamins and eat weird foods like hotdogs mixed with watermelon.....I don't think pregnant women should be putting anything in there system. And if your pregnant and can't stop smoking cigarrets can't out the bottle down or feel the need to smoke mm everyday of your pregnancy then mayne you shouldn't be pregnant in the first place. "

 

Ok so lets treat it like other drugs....um wait you didnt do that. you bring up alcohol? why? wtf does that have to do with this topic? Do pregnant women take vics or other pain pills....sure as bunny muffin do. in fact doctors are always looking for a less dangerous pain treatment for preg women. I have a suggestion....but i see your closed to the idea this plant could help. While i see your opinion is based on your own views of the things.... science and experience says medical marijuana can and does help some preg women. There are examples of women unable to carry a baby full term, until they tried mmj now they have several healthy babies.

 

http://www.mercycenters.org/libry/i_PREG.html#Info

 

http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/#pregnancy

 

http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/hemp/medical/can-babies.htm

 

I mean this to no one personally.....

Come on people get over the bigotry its either a wonderful plant who can help millions, or its what the dea says. It cant just help you but be poison for everyone else.

[TheGanz]

My woman took an occasional puff cause she had terrible morning sickness every single day, puking several times a day. Our child is 100% healthy 8lbs 3oz 21 inches long. She is 143 months now, a pound or two above average weight and 1-2 inches above average height. The doctor also says she is advanced in her development. She didnt recreationally smoke, just when she was sick. We read the reports on the Jamaican women and made our final decision.

 

GanjaWarrior, They said it was ok for her to take Emetrol and other medication that cancer patients going through chemo take. I feel more comfortable with her ingesting something 100% natural.

[herbnurse]

One major problem is the inability for most people to study what the federal government deems as schedule one drugs. You will notice that the op's study is NOT conducted in the united states. I can not say that i have research this and not found many studies but am guessing if i did research it there wouldnt be many due to the formentioned federal issues. Obviously a mother who has smoked marijuana is not going to have a baby that could be confused with a crack baby. It is not going to have a drastic effect like crack would. In my very humble opinion i would not recommend smoking marijuana because i personally dont know enough about it. Has there been enough studies to know for sure what it can do? I am not sure as i have not tried to research it but that would be my concern. Basicaly my concern would be about the amount of research and quality of the research that has been conducted.

[TheGanz]

I just learned today the differences between the different schedules. I knew cannabis was a schedule 1 drug according to the federal government but to have cocaine and heroin at a schedule 2? Cmon

[Ms.Vaped]

When my sister-in-law was pregnant, she a disk in her back that was herniated, her OB-Gyn prescribed her Vicoden ES(750), she choose to not take the narcotics and smoke mm, of course, her daughter tested positive for THC, and yes, the hospital reported to CPS...when the lady from CPS came to her house she was askd if she smoked marijuana, she replied yes because the drs prescribed her narcotics while being pregnant and she knows how it could potencially her baby and that there is NO studies that shows marijuana causes birth defects in un-born babies...CPS could not argue the point, since she showed documented studies. The lady left not saying a word and she hasn't heard anything more...that was 3yrs ago.

[Ionic7]

When my sister-in-law was pregnant, she a disk in her back that was herniated, her OB-Gyn prescribed her Vicoden ES(750), she choose to not take the narcotics and smoke mm, of course, her daughter tested positive for THC, and yes, the hospital reported to CPS...when the lady from CPS came to her house she was askd if she smoked marijuana, she replied yes because the drs prescribed her narcotics while being pregnant and she knows how it could potencially her baby and that there is NO studies that shows marijuana causes birth defects in un-born babies...CPS could not argue the point, since she showed documented studies. The lady left not saying a word and she hasn't heard anything more...that was 3yrs ago.

 

 

soo you are expecting us to believe that CPS was fine with her smoking pot with out a recommendation for it just because they recommended pain killers? That is a total load of bs, first off if they told her to use pills that does not make it at all legal even by AD to smoke pot, secondly the CPS has its own regulations and rule it has to follow.