potential risks have not been consistent across
all studies.
In Dreher’s Jamaican study, researchers
found no difference between babies born to
cannabis-consuming mothers and those who
were not three days after birth and at 30 days.
Even more interesting, Dreher’s team found
that babies exposed to cannabis in the womb
were considered more enjoyable to work with
and showed signs of superior health,
including better nervous system functioning
and improved alertness.
In fact, a 2016 review of scientific literature
found no correlation between cannabis and
negative birth outcomes.
However, the meta-analysis did find that
combining cannabis and tobacco was
associated with higher risks of low birth
weight and decreased growth.
Similarly, an old 1997 review conducted in
Australia analysed 34,483 women hints that
it’s the amount of cannabis consumed during
pregnancy that may impact outcomes on the
child, not the plant itself.
The research found that cannabis
consumption once per week was associated
with an increase in birth weight, contrasting
previous studies.
The OPPS and MHPCD studies also found an
association between prenatal cannabis
consumption and higher birth weight.
Yet, mothers who consumed multiple times a
week were more likely to see a decrease in
birth weight.
The study authors ultimately concluded,
“Cannabis is unlikely to contribute to low
birth weight when used in the amount
typically taken by a pregnant woman.”
While not conclusive in the slightest, this
suggests that perhaps someday in the future,
safe limits for cannabis will be established.
Though, not enough research is available to
support this hypothesis.
2:-THC is
bloodstream
breastmilk
absorbed into a baby’s
and is passed along in
One of the major arguments for using caution
with cannabis during pregnancy is because
the active compound in the plant, THC, can
be absorbed into the bloodstream and is
passed along to the foetus.
After a baby is born, THC and other cannabis
compounds can also be passed along to the
child via breastmilk.
It's this ex posure to THC and other
cannabinoids that have health professionals
concerned.
Cannabis compounds just so happen to
engage with one of the largest
neurotransmitter receptors in the human body.
That neurotransmitter system is called the
endocannabinoid system and it plays an
important role in the development of the brain
and nervous system.
Most recently, research in rodent models has
found that both excesses and deficiencies in
endocannabinoids can cause birth and brain
complications in mice.
Endocannabinoids are neurotransmitter
molecules similar to cannabis that the body
produces naturally.
For example, the research from Dr. Sudhansu
Dey at the University of Cincinnati has found
that foetal mice exposed to imbalances of
endocannabinoids in the womb were more
likely to develop seizure disorders after birth.