SPOKANE, Wash. — While many consider smoking marijuana to be harmless and even beneficial, it may not be safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
“I think they are admitting it as early as in the OB office during their prenatal care, many women will readily admit using it even daily,” Angie Tollefson, a Lactation Specialist at MultiCare Valley Hospital said.
Studies also show that more U.S. women are using pot during and after pregnancy so more babies are being exposed to the drug.
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine examined 54 samples from 50 women who used marijuana either daily, weekly or occasionally with inhalation being the primary method of intake.
Scientists detected THC, the primary component of marijuana, in 63 percent of the breast milk samples for up to six days after the mother's last reported use.
“So its stored in fat in the breast then once the baby ingests that milk ,that THC can be stored in the brain, there’s a lot of fat in the brain, huge development happening during that time,” Tollefson said
Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug meaning it is a drug with potential for abuse, no approved medical use and limited research.
Tollefson mentioned, “There are not many moms that want to use their baby as a test dummy to see how much can I ingest before it causes harmful effects,”
Health professionals say it is reasonable to speculate that this prenatal exposure to marijuana, THC or cannabidiol could influence normal brain development.
“I just know what I see every day, those babies tend to have trouble feeding, they tend to be lower birth-weight, they tend to be really really sleepy. This is just my experience. We are seeing that a lot more often,” Tollefson said.
Health professionals are concerned that mothers could be getting misleading information online.
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months. It is associated with improved immune health and a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome. The benefits of breastfeeding could outweigh the potential exposure to the infant.
Tollefson mentioned, “The American Academy of pediatrics recommends that even if parents are using marijuana in the household, even in exposure to secondhand smoke, we are concerned with that too, that they still breastfeed, and limit their use, and continue breast feeding,”
The study had some limitations because researchers relied on the women to report their marijuana use or exposure from memory.
Doctors are also concerned that the ingredients in marijuana products that are available today are thought to be much more potent than products available 20 or 30 years ago.
Health professionals agree, this is a call to action to take the next steps to study long-term outcomes in these children.