Marijuana And Pregnancy

How Does Marijuana Affect My Child and Me?

Marijuana use can reduce fertility in both men and women, making it difficult to conceive. If you are pregnant, you need to know that marijuana crosses the placenta and can affect your baby.

Smoking Marijuana during pregnancy has been linked to low birth weights in babies and withdrawal-like symptoms including excessive crying, tremors, hyperemesis (severe and chronic vomiting). Some studies, though not all, show that women who use marijuana even as infrequently as once a month throughout pregnancy are more likely to gain inadequate weight, to have dangerously rapid labor, prolonged or arrested labor, or a cesarean section. They are also more likely to have a baby that needs resuscitation after delivery.

Maternal marijuana use may also damage genes, possibly resulting in birth defects or cancer as well as lead to an increased risk of attention disorders and learning problems later in life. Marijuana has also been shown to adversely affect placental function and the fetal endocrine system, potentially interfering with the successful completion of pregnancy.

What Should I Do?

Stay away from marijuana before and during pregnancy. If you are already pregnant, there is no evidence that marijuana smoking in the past will harm your baby. Since most of the negative effects of marijuana appear to occur as pregnancy progresses, it's very unlikely that past smoking will harm your baby. You can try some of the suggestions below for quitting smoking to end your habit during your pregnancy. If you can't give up your habit by yourself, ask your health care provider for assistance.

Quitting Smoking

-	Write down your reasons for quitting. Look at the list when you are tempted to smoke.
-	Choose a "quit day." On that day, throw away all your cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays.
-	Identify your motivation for smoking. Once you do this, you should be able to find substitutes.
-	Stay away from places, activities or people that make you feel like smoking.
-	Ask your partner or a friend to help you quit, and call that person when you feel like smoking.
-	If you do regress and have a cigarette don't worry. Just start right up again with your non-smoking program knowing that every cigarette you don't smoke is helping your child.
-	Ask your health care provider about quitting aids such as patches, gum, nasal spray and medications.
-	Don't start using these without your health care provider's okay especially if you are pregnant.
-	Don't get discouraged if you don't quit completely right away. Keep trying. If you can't quit, cut back as much as you can. Many people don't succeed the first time around but do if they keep trying.

Pregnant women who are into drugs and alcohol abuse should be encouraged to undergo drug and alcohol treatment for the benefit of their baby’s mental and physical health.

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