Approval of Using Recreational Marijuana/cannabis and its Unintended Consequences on the Developing Fetus or Breastfeeding/chestfeeding

Approval of Using Recreational Marijuana/cannabis and its Unintended Consequences on the Developing Fetus or Breastfeeding/chestfeeding Child

Recreational use of marijuana is approved for people >21 without clear guidelines/restrictions for pregnant/breastfeeding women. Although it is illegal at the Federal level7, thirty-six states have legalized the use of marijuana medicinally; and eighteen states, including New Jersey, and Washington D.C. have legalized the use of cannabis recreationally. Women who live in states with legalized recreational cannabis are significantly more likely to use cannabis compared to women in states without legalized recreational cannabis5. A perception of safety in pregnancy and increased social acceptance of cannabis6 may contribute to one in 25 pregnant women use marijuana during pregnancy 5,1; 16.8% of women used cannabis in the pre-conception, 5.5% in the prenatal, and 6.6% in the postpartum periods5. Women use it for stress/anxiety relief, as antiemetic, to increase appetite, as a sleep aid, for pain relief, and for depression6. With about 500 chemicals, including the mind-altering compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marihuana can pass through a woman’s placenta to her baby during pregnancy. It can have negative effects on maternal/fetal outcomes on long-term brain development issues affecting memory/learning, and behavior2,7, increased preterm birth, and low birth-weight3, increased risk for and schizophrenia5. Potency has increased six-seven-fold since the 1970s 3, 4. One in 10 individuals over the age of 18 years and 1 in 6 under the age of 18 years will become addicted 5. This systematic review will examine the responsibility and the role of the interdisciplinary team and lactation consultant in educating women to prevent unintended consequences of the use of recreational marihuana.

Credit: 1 E-CERP

Source: ILCA Virtual Conference August, 2022 - Raleigh, North Carolina, US

Presented by: Maryelena Vargas, PhD, CCNE (Fairleigh Dickinson University and themotherbabydoc.com)

Upon completion, the learner will be able to:

1. Describe effects of marijuana use on fetal outcomes
2. Describe effects of marihuana use on breastfeeding children’s outcomes
3. Acknowledge responsibilities/role of the interdisciplinary team/lactation consultant on educating pregnant/breastfeeding women about use of marijuana during pregnancy/breastfeeding
4. Interpret evidence available to determine specific methods to increase awareness/educate pregnant/breastfeeding women about effects of use of marihuana during pregnancy/breastfeeding

Disclosures: ILCA accepts no commercial support for continuing education activities. The activity planners have no conflicts of interest to declare. The presenter has no significant financial interest or other relationship with the manufacturer(s) of any product(s) or provider(s) of any services relating to the subject matter of this presentation unless otherwise stated in the presentation.

CERPs: ILCA is an approved provider of Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPs) with the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). (CLT-108-7).