In the new study, 50 women who reported using cannabis supplied breast milk samples to Mommy’s Milk, a human milk research lab at the University of California, San Diego.
The women then filled out a questionnaire with information about the use of cannabis and other medications during the 14 days prior to giving the samples.
Analysis of the samples showed the presence of THC in 34, or 63 percent, of the 54 samples. Five of the samples, or 9 percent, had detectable levels of CBD. THC was detected in samples up to six days after reported cannabis use.
“Whether this means that some level — or any level — of these metabolites can negatively influence child development is unknown at this point,” said senior study author Christina Chambers, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego and director of clinical research for the Department of Pediatrics at UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital.
Chambers called for more research on the effect cannabinoids may have on a developing fetus.
Kelley Bruce is the founder of Cannamommy, which advocates for mothers who choose natural medicines. Bruce said, “I think it is important for these types of studies to be happening, but also think it is important to remember that we still have no understanding of what a “harmful” level of THC is. This study, while very interesting still leaves a lot of questions on the table. We need to really address this issue and allow for funding research in this area. I hope to see more of these studies with larger samples of participants.”
“It’s important to be able to know the answers to those questions so the advice that pediatricians and obstetricians are giving to pregnant women and breastfeeding women are based on sound evidence,” said Dr. Chambers. “This is a call to action to take the next steps to study long-term outcomes in these children.”
Chambers said that her team is planning further work to study the effect that THC exposure in children can have on their performance in neurobehavioral testing.
“That’s a testable hypothesis and something that we want to move forward with trying to answer because it’s a critical question,” Chambers said.
The study was published Monday, August 27, 2018 in the journal Pediatrics.
Source: The Weed Blog
