Fiancee' smokes weed while pregnant

[Mehm]

^^chubba: do you care to elaborate, or are you talking out your ass?

 

[mindbodysOul]

Hmmm this is actually quite interesting.

Yes. Could you please offer an explanation on how a pregnant mother smoking could cause breathing problems in the child? The smoke goes into the parent's lungs... the particulate matter and sticky tar and heat cause respiratory problems. This requires direct contact of the smoke onto the lungs. If you eat tobacco or marijuana, it doesn't do anything harmful to your lungs. So how could a baby possibly have breathing problems due to its pregnant mother's smoking habits?

You know what, i actually cant offer an explanation! I shot my mouth off without actually having anything to back it up, my bad. I guess i was going by the vague connection between a smoking mother and asthma development in children, but ill have to look more into it and get back to you :D

And i absolutely agree with the nitrosamines comment, and basically any food cooked at high temperatures such as bbq'ing meats will produce cancinogens. I think regarding the mercury content in fish, it is something to be concerned about but if you go for the smaller type fish and stear clear of fish like swordfish, mackeral, marlin, shark etc you will be ok. I think the benefits of eating salmon 2-3times per week for a pregnant women outweighs the possible side effects. And if you choose your fish wisely you can reduce the amount of possible contamination.

 

[Coolio]

mindbodysoul, my only point is that people usually have an irrational perception of risk. The potential for smoking marijuana to be a risk to a developing fetus is actually far lower than eating a normal American diet, yet you'll hear most people bark at you and condemn you for even questioning whether you should toke.

 

[lifeisforliving]

mindbodysoul, my only point is that people usually have an irrational perception of risk. The potential for smoking marijuana to be a risk to a developing fetus is actually far lower than eating a normal American diet, yet you'll hear most people bark at you and condemn you for even questioning whether you should toke.

Got any evidence to back that up?

Taking drugs while pregnant (especially *smoking* anything) is an ADDITIONAL risk that mothers can choose NOT to take with their unborn baby.

 

[Coolio]

You aren't looking at this from a quantitative perspective, lifeisforliving. When you consider the developmental toxicity risks you assume when you become pregnant in this dirty modern world, the additional risk that smoking marijuana poses is negligible. The risks you assume from diet (especially pesticide residue in agriculture, and bioaccumulated toxics in fish... also trans fats and natural and artificial hormones in milk, soy products, etc.), your drinking water (MTBEs, PCBs, toxic metals), the air ("Over 5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released by industry into the nation's environment each year, including 75 million pounds of recognized carcinogens.") etc. are so bad that occasional marijuana use could not be considered risky in relation to what's currently sanctioned of mothers legally and morally.

 

[divinorum]

that makes a lot of sense, coolio. Just keep on adding risks instead of taking away all that you can. Is this the philosophy you would want your mother to have taken with you?

 

[Coolio]

I'd rather she smoked pot than ate french fries, because it's less risky.

 

[lifeisforliving]

You aren't looking at this from a quantitative perspective, lifeisforliving.

I think the word you are looking for is - cumulative.

When you consider the developmental toxicity risks you assume when you become pregnant in this dirty modern world, the additional risk that smoking marijuana poses is negligible. The risks you assume from diet (especially pesticide residue in agriculture, and bioaccumulated toxics in fish... also trans fats and natural and artificial hormones in milk, soy products, etc.), your drinking water (MTBEs, PCBs, toxic metals), the air ("Over 5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released by industry into the nation's environment each year, including 75 million pounds of recognized carcinogens.") etc. are so bad that occasional marijuana use could not be considered risky in relation to what's currently sanctioned of mothers legally and morally.

Well, there are a couple issues I have with your view:

1) There is very little research showing that marijuana (smoking it) doesn't harm the pregnancy. You are assuming that marijuana, and all the chemicals created when *smoking* the plant into your lungs, have "negligible" effects on a developing fetus.

2) Many of the risks you mention: poor air quality, pesticide residue, toxins in fish, drinking water... are very difficult to avoid. They "come with the territory". Smoking marijuana, just like drinking alcohol, or stuffing your face with McDonalds french fries, are all CONTROLLABLE risks. You can CHOOSE to take the additional risks involved, or simply CHOOSE to eliminate those risks.

3) There *is* developing evidence showing that it is not only the amounts of a single mutagen that increase the potential for defects, but also the *variety* of toxins. An example would be in a recent study on tadpoles (which I will find and link if you require), they tested the effects of 3 pesticides on groups of tadpoles. The groups that were given LOW concentrations of all THREE pesticides showed far greater developmental defects, than the groups that were given only ONE of the 3 pesticides, but in a larger amount.

So what does this mean? It means that adding the additional stress of "a few tokes of marijuana" or "a few drinks of alcohol" or "insert drug here", MAY JUST put the developmental risks "over the top".

Trying to justify the risks of marijuana smoking while pregnant by using statistics or "it's just a little toxin, it's ok" is the same mentality people can use to decide that drunk driving is A-OK - I mean, comeon, what % chance is it that I would die after drunk driving ONCE? The thing with bringing a child into this world is.. we only get that one chance.

 

[yellodolphin]

Marijuana is NOT totally safe for a developing fetus. People who said it are wrong.

Marijuana is a fuking drug and even though it is very fuking sake this does not apply to a fetus. The developing fetus is VERY senstive to everything including drugs. The fetus forming a baby during pregnancy has the most biological development in our lives. It is our most crucial and sensitive development period- one that creates a human being.

One established effect with marijuana and the fetus involves hormones. Hormones for a fetus determine Permanent Physical sex related differences including: parts of the brain, sex organs and among other things.

"Marijuana compounds cross the placenta and affect fetal development. They also pass into a mother's milk. Babies born to women who use marijuana may have low birth weight, physical and mental defects resembling fetal alcohol syndrome, and inadequate sex differentiation or development."

A drug is something that effects the bodies chemical processes. Natural or not would u want to effect the bodies chemical processes when a fetus is developing come on use ur head.

ref: http://agebb.missouri.edu/occmed/bull13q.htm

 

[stereo]

I recently read the results of a medical study that "they" did where they compared two sets of pregnant women... one group smoked weed, the other ate french fries... the children of the weed smoking moms if anything turned out healthier. The study claimed in conclusion that you're better off smoking weed than eating fries while pregnant... but which would you crave more?

 

[mariacallas]

Taking drugs while pregnant (especially *smoking* anything) is an ADDITIONAL risk that mothers can choose NOT to take with their unborn baby.

w0rd. I definitely know I wouldn't.

 

[DopaMan]

Just put the search term "prenatal marijuana exposure" into scholar.google.com and you'll find plenty of studies. Many showing that it is indeed a terrible fucking choice for a mother to make. Interestingly from the few abstracts I read it seems that marijuana seems to negatively behavior more than physical development.

PS Smoking ciggarettes while pregnant is also a fucking terrible choice. I hope your fiancee is not partaking in both.

Who would smoke weed with a pregnant lady anyway?!!


Effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on child behavior problems at age 10.
Goldschmidt L, Day NL, Richardson GA.

Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 15213, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

This is a prospective study of the effects of prenatal marijuana exposure on child behavior problems at age 10. The sample consisted of low-income women attending a prenatal clinic. Half of the women were African-American and half were Caucasian. The majority of the women decreased their use of marijuana during pregnancy. The assessments of child behavior problems included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher's Report Form (TRF), and the Swanson, Noland, and Pelham (SNAP) checklist. Multiple and logistic regressions were employed to analyze the relations between marijuana use and behavior problems of the children, while controlling for the effects of other extraneous variables. Prenatal marijuana use was significantly related to increased hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention symptoms as measured by the SNAP, increased delinquency as measured by the CBCL, and increased delinquency and externalizing problems as measured by the TRF. The pathway between prenatal marijuana exposure and delinquency was mediated by the effects of marijuana exposure on inattention symptoms. These findings indicate that prenatal marijuana exposure has an effect on child behavior problems at age 10.

 

[djwhirlpool]

That's not proof of anything... How could a mother smoking pot have anything to do with a baby's breathing troubles?

It won't affect the baby's breathing, but the smoke blocks oxygen that goes to the baby.

Lack of oxygen = lack of brain cells for the baby. Also you need oxygen for circulation.

It's as simple as that. It may not be the weed itself, but it's the smoke.

 

[djwhirlpool]

I recently read the results of a medical study that "they" did where they compared two sets of pregnant women... one group smoked weed, the other ate french fries... the children of the weed smoking moms if anything turned out healthier. The study claimed in conclusion that you're better off smoking weed than eating fries while pregnant... but which would you crave more?

There was never a study done like this you stupid fucking troll.

 

[Astavats]

I personally would recommend not smoking during pregnancy, but I have nothing more than my opinion to back it up. Better to be on the safe side I suppose.

Anyway congratulations on the baby, hope it he/she comes out healthy and everything is fine =)

 

[c0_hush]

Taking a chance with your baby's health is totally wrong and is bad parenting. Even if the kid was born healthy, currently there's no way to test for any problems with the brain function, etc. Something that's not noticed right away might actually cause a problem for the kid in the future and you may never make the connection. Also, even if weed's not tobacco and doesn't have the poison they put in cigarettes, studies show that alot of damage to the body/lungs is done by the herb that's combusting and the smoke from it. Invest in some vaporizer so you only smoke the essence of the herb and the thc mist, not the other bs caused by combustion. It's like the kid never has a choice, you're possibly exposing him/her to shit you don't understand or realize.

People like this shouldn't be allowed to have kids. If you can't quit for 9 months just for the sake of your baby's health, even if you don't know if it's bad for him/her or not, the fact that you'ree not stopping shows lack of intelligence and concern for the baby's health. And all this before the kid's even born. I wonder how the kid will be raised... *shudder*

 

[divinorum]

concerning the vaporizer idea, im not even sure thc is good for a baby's developing brain.

 

[StagnantReaction]

You aren't looking at this from a quantitative perspective, lifeisforliving. When you consider the developmental toxicity risks you assume when you become pregnant in this dirty modern world, the additional risk that smoking marijuana poses is negligible. The risks you assume from diet (especially pesticide residue in agriculture, and bioaccumulated toxics in fish... also trans fats and natural and artificial hormones in milk, soy products, etc.), your drinking water (MTBEs, PCBs, toxic metals), the air ("Over 5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released by industry into the nation's environment each year, including 75 million pounds of recognized carcinogens.") etc. are so bad that occasional marijuana use could not be considered risky in relation to what's currently sanctioned of mothers legally and morally.

*breath of fresh air enters the thread*

concerning the vaporizer idea, im not even sure thc is good for a baby's developing brain.

We may not know if there are consequences for such an unborn baby and what changes may occur as a direct effect, but science is certain in many perspectives of how THC interacts with humans to tell us that we instead have more of an idea of how THC is benign in health concerns and positive in certain medicinal aspects.

 

[divinorum]

We may not know if there are consequences for such an unborn baby and what changes may occur as a direct effect, but science is certain in many perspectives of how THC interacts with humans to tell us that we instead have more of an idea of how THC is benign in health concerns and positive in certain medicinal aspects.

im not sure you can separate out health concerns and medical aspects... they seem to be tied together pretty well. My point is that even if THC is benign for an adult brain, one should be careful about the types of chemicals they are putting into the fragile, developing brain of a fetus. For one, there brains are much smaller. secondly, they probably don't have as many cannabinoid receptors as an adult.

 

[trainwrecker]

Just Eat It!

I think that marijuana can be a life saver for a pregnet woman. It helps with the loss of appitite, nausa, headaches and many other afflictions common to women with child.
However, the smoke is definatly not good. I would suggest she try ingesting the marijuana rather than smoking it. The best way is to infuse it in butter/oil, or just make tea from it.
There was a study done on Jamacian women; one group drank tea throughout their terms and the other did not. The tea drinkers had healthier babies overall.
Marijuana is one of the safest drugs available, much safer than tylenol or many other over the counter medicines. I would encourage any woman to use it if it helped with any affliction they may have during pregenacy.