Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Affects Baby's Brain

[OZ Stoners]

Using marijuana during pregnancy could affect a baby's brain development by interfering with how brain cells are wired, a new study in mice and human tissue suggests. Researchers studied marijuana's effects on mice and brain tissue from human fetuses, and found that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, interferes with the formation of connections between nerve cells in the cerebral cortex ...

 

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[louise]

So far, Harkany said, no studies have compared the effect of marijuana to that of other drugs, such as alcohol, on fetal brain development.

 

 

No of course not... these incredibly minor changes due to cannabis use pales into insignificance when you look at it against the results of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy, ie fetal alcohol syndrome.

 

Ohhh they've changed the name since I worked in the disability sector... Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

[AlexaRedd]

Marijuana is also known as cannabis, pot or weed, generally a drug available in the hemp plant. The plant are dried out and then smoked in cigarettes or sometimes eaten. Many studies claims that during pregnancy smoking marijuana can cause birth defects in children. There can be long lasting behavioral changes and mental defects in kids. Thus any women having marijuana’s addiction might need immediate diagnostics so that it can’t affect their pregnancy.

[Sir PsychoHashy]

FFS, why do they need to do these studies?  Next time anyone comes up with the idea of researching pregnancy and the effect of drug use on the developing fetus, they should give the research money to me and I'll give them an instant report.  No drug should be consumed by the pregnant mother, including alcohol, ciggies, and a shitload of prescription drugs.  Anything that interferes with brain function, hormonal function, blood oxygen and flow, etc etc puts the developing child at some level of risk, end of story.  There are obviously situations where the health of the mother may be adversely affected by not consuming something, at which point a decision needs to be made on which option is best, but aside from those sorts of circumstances it is a no brainer. 

 

Would have to agree with Lou that it's strange that they avoided comparisons to the well documented effects of alcohol?  Also believe that the study is heavily flawed in that they injected THC by itself, when we all know that other cannibinoids and terpenes all interact together in a very complicated way, and that CBD in particular has a fairly direct counteracting affect on the THC.  A more cynical person than me (how do I portray sarcasm in text?) might believe that the study was meant to find a particular result to be used by a particular group.

 

I do hope that no members of this site would advocate cannabis use during pregnancy.

[Matanuska Thunder]

this story may make you think twice about cannabis during pregnancy 

 

(and yes, I do agree with you SPH, mums-to-be should refrain from a whole host of things during their pregnancies)

 

http://fox13now.com/2015/04/02/mormon-mom-with-cancer-used-medical-marijuana-to-deliver-healthy-baby/

[lookinggoodguys]

My cousin epileptic meds caused clef lip in her baby.....Doctors did warn her deformities could happen and it did. No drugs should be used in the early development phase of pregnancy if possible....I think cannabis could be used in delivery  stage... Take the edge of the pain, help to relax...that's where research would benefit.

Edited April 11, 2015 by lookinggoodguys

[T.WilyRR.]

I remember one woman who was a chronic user and breast fed her baby daily. The baby looked off its head pretty much all of the time. You had to bite your lip in her presence.

 

I think its' a weak argument  trying to compare it to fetal alcohol syndrome when you could compared it to a plethora of other toxins and or medications during pregnancy. Everything is individual.

 

They say stress during a mothers pregnancy can also effect the outcome of the child's psychological outcome.

 

Im not sure what my point is. Life isn't always easy. Just be honest with yourself.

[louise]

Yes, it's pretty obvious you don't know what your point is... maybe because you didn't actually read the article. My comment about fetal alcohol was in response to the article, I didn't raise it as an argument.

 

Of course, everything that effects the mother can effect the fetus and that's everything from the type plastics in the home, to the time of year of conception.

 

I personally don't advocate anything to "pregnant women". Mainly because I don't think that getting pregnant makes women public property, and I don't think that being pregnant gives other people the right to make judgments about how women should live whilst pregnant.

[TheOutlier]

hmm, bit of an old thread.

 

I present to you, the other side of the argument: https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=K9WorIM0RhA

Edited April 11, 2015 by TheOutlier

[Faith]

I just read this and the study was dismissed in my mind:

 

"An exclusive deal flow agreement with Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB, along with other cooperation agreements with leading Nordic universities, delivers a continuous flow of innovations. Today, the portfolio consists of 33 projects, of which 16 pharmaceutical projects are in clinical development with 11 projects in Phase II.

In addition to the pharmaceutical development projects, the portfolio also includes eight technology platforms or medical devices. The projects are run within 23 partly-owned portfolio companies, of which 21 are active investments in which Karolinska Development takes an active ownership role. The other two are considered to be passive financial investments."

http://www.karolinskadevelopment.com/en/company/about/

 

It's a put on. Whether correct or not it is spin/propaganda from a sub set of spin doctors and therefore should be given the appropriate respect or credibility.

Faith

Edited April 11, 2015 by Faith