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is vaping marijuana bad for pregnancy

by Alexa Hirthe Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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Whether smoked, eaten in food (edibles), or vaped, marijuana is stronger than ever before, which makes use during pregnancy especially risky for a developing baby’s health. Marijuana contains nearly 500 chemicals, including the mind-altering compound tetrahydrocannabinol

Tetrahydrocannabinol

Tetrahydrocannabinol is one of at least 113 cannabinoids identified in cannabis. THC is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. With chemical name-trans-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, the term THC also refers to cannabinoid isomers.

(THC).

Marijuana may be bad for your baby no matter how you use it—this includes smoking, vaping, dabbing, eating or drinking, and applying creams or lotions to the skin. The potential health effects of using cannabidiol (CBD) products during pregnancy are currently unknown.

Full Answer

Is vaping when pregnant harmful to Your Baby?

Vaping during pregnancy has deeper implications. In utero exposure to nicotine, which is found in many vaping products, is known to directly harm fetuses by causing abnormal lung, heart, brain, and immune system development, which carries lifelong consequences.

What are the effects of vaping on pregnancy?

Other risks include:

  • Preterm labor
  • Stillbirth
  • Low birth weight
  • Birth defects

Is smoking weed bad for pregnant women?

Women should avoid smoking weed during pregnancy. Doctors advise against using marijuana during pregnancy, but many misconceptions persist. Some people believe that because medical use is legal in...

Is Vicks VapoRub bad for pregnant women?

You can safely use Vicks Vaporub if you’re pregnant. The main ingredients in Vaporub are camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol, all of which are safe for pregnant women in the small doses they’d receive from administering Vicks either topically or through inhaling it (source: DailyMed).

What are the potential health effects of using marijuana during my pregnancy?

Can pregnant women smoke marijuana?

Can you give a baby weed while breastfeeding?

Is smoking marijuana bad for babies?

Can using marijuana during my pregnancy affect my baby’s development after birth?

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Marijuana during pregnancy: What's the harm? - Mayo Clinic

Use of marijuana during pregnancy can also make you dizzy and alter your judgment, putting you at risk of falls or other injury. Smoking marijuana can damage your lungs and cause breathing problems too.

MARIJUANA USE AND PREGNANCY - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CANNABIS AND PUBLIC HEALTH . I. Can using marijuana during my pregnancy affect my baby’s development after birth? Although scientists are still learning about the effects of marijuana on developing brains, studies suggest that

Marijuana Use in Pregnancy: A Review - PMC - National Center for ...

Marijuana is the no. 1 dependent substance used in pregnancy, 1,2 with up to half of users continuing their use while pregnant. 3–5 This results in up to 34% of pregnancies impacted, which is significant. 6–9 The high prevalence of prenatal marijuana exposure is likely due to its perceived safety in pregnancy, the recent legalization trend, 3–5,10 and its appeal in potentially providing ...

Marijuana During Pregnancy - Know the Risks | SAMHSA

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug during pregnancy in the U.S., and marijuana use is on the rise among all adult age groups, both sexes, and pregnant women.. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, even as some states have legalized it for recreational and medicinal use. In addition, a growing number of pregnant women view it as a safe, natural way to treat nausea and ...

Cannabis and Pregnancy: What Science Reveals About the Effects - CNBS

Dangers of Using Marijuana During Pregnancy. Because marijuana has been legalized in numerous places and is often used as an effective medical treatment for a variety of illnesses and ailments, this had led many people to believe that it’s a natural substance that’s safe to use under any circumstances, including pregnancy.

What are the effects of marijuana during pregnancy?

Use of marijuana during pregnancy might increase the risk of having a baby that is smaller at birth. It might also slightly increase the risk of stillbirth.

How much does marijuana affect a baby?

Research suggests that using marijuana at least weekly during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to a baby with a low birth weight — less than 5 1/2 pounds (2,500 grams). While research suggests a small increase in the risk of stillbirth as well, the results couldn't be adjusted to exclude the effects of tobacco use.

Can smoking marijuana make you dizzy?

Use of marijuana during pregnancy can also make you dizzy and alter your judgment, putting you at risk of falls or other injury. Smoking marijuana can damage your lungs and cause breathing problems too.

Can marijuana harm you during pregnancy?

New research also suggests that there might be a link between maternal marijuana use during pregnancy and mental health, social issues and sleep problems in children. Using marijuana during pregnancy can also harm your health.

Is marijuana legal in Canada?

Throughout Canada, certain states across the U.S., and a variety of places throughout the world, legal medical and recreational marijuana is providing unobstructed access to a growing number of people. This is causing questions to arise about topics such as combining marijuana with other drugs and intoxicants, marijuana and existing health conditions, as well as marijuana and pregnancy.

Is marijuana better than prescription?

Some feel that marijuana works better than prescription or over-the-counter drugs suggested by their doctors. Because women are often hesitant to ask their doctors about the risks versus the benefits of smoking marijuana during pregnancy, they often turn to the internet for information and advice.

Does smoking marijuana affect a pregnant woman?

If marijuana can affect a pregnant mother, what about her baby? Does smoking marijuana affect pregnancy? Research shows that marijuana use during pregnancy may reduce the flow of blood and oxygen through the placenta. There are also concerns about the way THC and other cannabinoids may affect the baby itself. After a mother consumes cannabis, it crosses the placenta, causing the baby’s blood THC level to rise to anywhere from one-third to one-tenth of the level of THC in the mother’s blood.

Can you vape while pregnant?

Although vaping and consuming edible marijuana during pregnancy doesn’t involve inhaling toxins, it still introduces THC and other cannabinoids into the mother’s bloodstream.

Is marijuana safe for pregnant women?

Unfortunately, the evidence shows that using marijuana is far from harmless to pregnant women and developing fetuses. The risks are so concerning that in 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines warning women not to use marijuana in any form during pregnancy.

Can marijuana cause morning sickness?

While some women use marijuana to treat morning sickness and some of the other conditions that arise during pregnancy, evidence shows that cannabis may create or exacerbate other issues in a way that could create further discomfort or even dangerous health problems.

Is smoking weed while pregnant bad for you?

For years, it’s been well-established that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy is not only harmful to the mother; it’s also harmful to a developing fetus. Some studies suggest that smoking marijuana carries the same risks in terms of ingesting carcinogens and other toxins, which leads some pregnant women to opt for vaporizing marijuana or consuming edibles or tinctures in order to eliminate the inhalation of smoke.

Can pregnant women smoke e-cigarettes?

Pregnant women often don 't know if their e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Some also might use e-cigarettes during pregnancy because of the perception that the devices can help them quit or reduce cigarette smoking.

Can a baby smoke e-cigarettes?

While use of e-cigarettes might expose a growing baby to fewer toxins compared with those from regular cigarette use, nicotine exposure of any kind is harmful to a baby. If you're pregnant and you smoke or vape, quitting is the best way to give your baby a healthy start.

Is it safe to smoke e-cigarettes while pregnant?

E-cigarette liquids also contain chemicals, flavors and other additives that might not be safe for your baby. It's well known that smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can harm women and their babies.

Is vaping safe during pregnancy?

Using electronic cigarettes (vaping) during pregnancy isn't safe. Most electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) contain nicotine, which permanently damages a baby's developing brain and many other organs. E-cigarette liquids also contain chemicals, flavors and other additives that might not be safe for your baby.

What are the potential health effects of using marijuana during my pregnancy?

Marijuana use during pregnancy can be harmful to your baby’s health. 1 The chemicals in marijuana (in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) pass through your system to your baby and may harm your baby’s development. 2

Can pregnant women smoke marijuana?

Although more research is needed to better understand how marijuana may affect you and your baby during pregnancy, it is recommended that pregnant persons do not use marijuana. 3,4

Can you give a baby weed while breastfeeding?

The health effects of a breastfeeding person’s use of marijuana on their infant or baby are not yet fully known . We do know that chemicals from marijuana can be passed to a baby through breast milk. 15 THC is stored in body fat and is slowly released over time, meaning a baby could still be exposed even after a person has stopped using marijuana. Thus, persons who are breastfeeding are encouraged to avoid all marijuana use. 14

Is smoking marijuana bad for babies?

Breathing marijuana smoke can also be bad for you and your baby. Secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. 5 THC, the psychoactive or mind-altering compound in marijuana, may also be passed to infants through secondhand smoke. 6

Can using marijuana during my pregnancy affect my baby’s development after birth?

Although scientists are still learning about the effects of marijuana on developing brains, studies suggest that marijuana use by persons during pregnancy could be linked to problems with attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and behavior in their children later in life. 7-12

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Increasing Rates of Marijuana Use During Pregnancy

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To date, there are no marijuana-derived medications that are FDA-approved for treating conditions associated with pregnancy, including nausea. However, marijuana is the illicit drug most commonly used by pregnant women, with rates doubling since 2002.1 1. Pregnant women report marijuana use predominantly to …
See more on nida.nih.gov

The Endocannabinoid System

  • Marijuana contains hundreds of chemicals including Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids. THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana and the one that makes people high, is linked to most of the effects people commonly associate with marijuana. 1. THC works by interacting with a signaling system found throughout the brain and other areas of the b…
See more on nida.nih.gov

Health Effects

  • The health effects of marijuana exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding are not certain. In studies with people, it can be challenging to disentangle the multiple risk and protective factors that affect fetal and newborn outcomes. Exposure to other drugs (see “Role of Poly-Drug Use,” below) and factors such as nutrition, prenatal care, family s...
See more on nida.nih.gov

Role of Poly-Drug Use

  • Disentangling the developmental effects of prenatal marijuana exposure from exposure to other substances is difficult because many women who use marijuana during pregnancy are also using other substances (tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs).21,23,24Prenatal poly-substance exposure has been found by numerous studies to cause harmful effects in infants. 1. Use of tobacco and …
See more on nida.nih.gov

Perception of Safety

  • Pregnant women are more likely to cease using marijuana if they perceive it to be harmful, but multiple factors such as state legalization, social acceptability, and misconceptions about health risks are increasing the perception that marijuana is safe.21,33,34 1. Women report a need for resources and communication with healthcare providers about the risks of prenatal marijuana u…
See more on nida.nih.gov

Additional Information

  • If you or someone you care about is pregnant and using a drug such as marijuana or has a substance use disorder: 1. Ask your healthcare provider about the risks and treatment options. 2. Find treatment services in your area through SAMHSA's treatment locator and HRSA's Find a Health Center. 3. Visit NIDA's webpages for more information: Marijuana Research Report and S…
See more on nida.nih.gov

Sources

  1. Quality. Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2018.
  2. Brown QL, Sarvet AL, Shmulewitz D, Martins SS, Wall MM, Hasin DS. Trends in Marijuana Use Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Reproductive-Aged Women, 2002-2014. JAMA. 2017;317(2):207-209.
  1. Quality. Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2018.
  2. Brown QL, Sarvet AL, Shmulewitz D, Martins SS, Wall MM, Hasin DS. Trends in Marijuana Use Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Reproductive-Aged Women, 2002-2014. JAMA. 2017;317(2):207-209.
  3. Mark K, Gryczynski J, Axenfeld E, Schwartz RP, Terplan M. Pregnant Women's Current and Intended Cannabis Use in Relation to Their Views Toward Legalization and Knowledge of Potential Harm. J Addict...
  4. Volkow ND, Han B, Compton WM, Blanco C. Marijuana Use During Stages of Pregnancy in the United States. Annals of internal medicine. 2017;166(10):763-764.

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