Cannabis during pregnancy: clear risk findings

Cannabis is the most commonly consumed illegal substance during pregnancy. In countries with legalization (USA, Canada), consumption by pregnant women has increased significantly. At the same time, the scientific evidence on risks to the fetus and newborn is clear and consistent: cannabis during pregnancy is associated with multiple developmental risks.

Main mechanism: THC is highly lipophilic and crosses the placental barrier easily. The fetal endocannabinoid system already develops in the first trimester – CB1 receptors have been detected in fetal neurons and in the placenta. Exogenous THC intervenes directly in the ECS-controlled brain development of the fetus.

Study situation: Risks for the child

Premature birth risk and birth weight

The most robust finding is the increased risk of premature birth and SGA. Corsi 2019 (JAMA, n=661,000) is the largest study to date and shows after careful confounder control:
– +41 % risk of premature birth (before 37 weeks’ gestation)
– +53 % SGA risk (weight below 10th percentile)

Premature birth and low birth weight are themselves risk factors for neurological development problems, respiratory disorders and later chronic diseases.

Neuronal development: long-term consequences

The Fried team followed children of prenatal cannabis exposure over 18 years. Findings:
– Deficits in attention and executive control (planning, impulse inhibition)
– Higher impulsivity and more ADHD-like symptoms
– Tend to perform worse at school
– THC disrupts ECS-driven neuronal migration and synapse formation in the fetal brain

Breastfeeding and cannabis

THC passes into the mother’s milk and accumulates there (fat content of the milk) to concentrations well above the mother’s blood plasma level:

– THC in breast milk: up to 8× higher concentration than in maternal blood
– Half-life in breast milk: 20+ hours
– Newborn liver metabolizes cannabinoids significantly slower than adults → Accumulation
– Studies (Baker 2018, Pediatrics): THC detectable in breast milk 6 days after last use

Recommendation of all professional societies (ACOG, AAP, DGGG): No cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

CBD during pregnancy

CBD is not safe. Although CBD is less psychoactive than THC, human studies on safety in pregnancy are completely lacking. Animal models also show worrying effects for CBD on placental function (TRPV1 overactivation → vasoconstriction). The FDA and European authorities explicitly advise against CBD during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

FAQ: Cannabis during pregnancy

Summary

Cannabis during pregnancy is clearly risky: THC crosses the placenta, disrupts fetal ECS-controlled brain development, significantly increases the risk of premature birth and SGA. Long-term studies show attention and executive function deficits in the child. Breastfeeding transmits THC via breast milk in high concentrations. CBD is also contraindicated – no human data on safety. Cannabis and adolescents covers the further developmental phase; cannabis dependence for affected mothers who want to stop.

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Mom and Influencer: Mom Life and Video Editing

FIV: Hey Dani, we are happy to welcome you for a follow up interview. Three years have passed since the last interview with our magazine.
These 3 years ago we talked about your future plans and you said you would like to start your own family. You have fulfilled that goal. Congratulations on being a happy wife and mother. Mum and Influencer – how do you balance these two jobs?

Dani: Hello dear ones, I am very happy that I can exchange myself with you again today. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Madness, how fast 3 years have gone by and what all has happened in this time. 3 years ago I put all my eggs in one basket and quit my job to focus full time on my blog & Instagram channel.
Today I am still of the opinion that it was the best decision and probably also the best time I have had in recent years. Not only professionally, but also privately I have grown with this task and have fulfilled my desire for independence.

2 years ago we had our son Milo Noah and since then I’ve been trying to balance both jobs as best I can. Not always easy and stress-free, but you know what you’re doing it for and my heart is in both and filled with happiness. Milo’s well-being always comes first though – I love the mommy life and I’m so grateful that I get to experience it. My daily routine with two jobs usually looks like this: during the day I concentrate fully on Milo, as soon as he is asleep I sit down at the laptop and take care of the bookkeeping, emails, image editing, video editing, content submissions,… at the moment my day has far too few hours and I sometimes have to force myself to close the laptop and go to sleep.

Since a few weeks we are in the Kita-Einewöhnung, where Milo can play with children of the same age for 3 – 4 hours and I can arrange my time management a little better, so that I can also relax in the evening (which unfortunately happens far too rarely). But for the last 5 years I’ve known it no differently, back then it was my second job in a travel/event agency and now it’s everyday mum life. Nevertheless, organization & the support of my husband or my family is the A&O.

I am very grateful and also very fulfilled with what I do.

Going Offline: Family & Me-Time

FIV: Do you have your smartphone or laptop at the ready 24/7, or are there times when you are offline and stay that way to spend time with yourself and your family?

Dani: For me, family time always comes first. I specifically try to give myself this space, whether it’s working on my laptop or my mobile phone. As soon as Milo comes home from daycare, the laptop is closed and all to-dos have to wait until the evening.
I still reach for my cell phone automatically from time to time – on certain days you notice how often you unconsciously reach for your cell phone. In the meantime, however, everything has settled down quite well, so that I can keep cell phone-free time and enjoy it very much.

FIV: Two full-time jobs make for a busy day. It’s important to find some peace and not to forget yourself. Take a bath, read a book, go for a walk: What’s your favorite relaxation ritual?

Dani: I would love to have time for a good book again, but unfortunately I don’t get to do that at the moment. I don’t even manage to flip through a magazine. But I enjoy walks with our dog Lilly, walks in the woods or we go to the sea with the family. Here I definitely still have to learn and accept to take the time for such things.

FIV: Whether you’re traveling or at home, it doesn’t matter if it’s an absolute dream location or your own private bedroom. When you get up in the morning, what makes you happy?

Dani: That we are all healthy. And that we have renovated our own home with a lot of hard work, in which we feel very comfortable.

Enjoy beautiful places: Nice, New York, Miami,…New Zealand?

FIV: You have always loved to travel and visited all the cities in the world. Nice, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna. City trips are usually pretty fast-paced, you want to see as much as possible. Now you and your husband have a third passenger on board. How is travelling with a child? Do you approach everything in a more relaxed way?

Dani: We have already been to London, Amsterdam, Denmark, Mallorca, Agadir and the Canary Islands with Milo and I must say that it was totally beautiful. Of course it is much more time-consuming and stressful at the airport/plane, but on location the time together and the experiences give so much energy. But I am also much more relaxed by Milo, if something does not work out, I do not get so involved.

You should have respect to travel with children, but do not be afraid.

FIV: On your travel list last time were New Zealand, Canada and Tokyo. Have you been able to visit any of those places in the meantime? Or/and have new places been added?

Dani: Unfortunately, I have seen many other beautiful places, but in New Zealand, Canada and Tokyo I was unfortunately not yet. Then the pregnancy came in between. Meanwhile, I would also only decide for New Zealand. We were in recent years professionally & privately very much in Europe and pregnant in New York & Miami.

Mother and fashionista: stylish street style look

FIV: You yourself have seen quite a few places in this world and have seen quite a bit in terms of fashion. London is also a real fashion metropolis.
How do you see the style of German women/men? Is there something missing here?

Dani: I think there are great dressed women and men who live their style super confidently and wear what they like. There are more and more, also through social media.
Nevertheless, a large part of society is always very insecure and worries too much about what other people think of you. I think it’s a general problem in Germany that togetherness often falls by the wayside and people care too much about what others do/wear & do.

FIV: Pregnancy makes you reacquaint yourself with topics like fashion. Would you say that your clothing style has changed as a result of being a mother? Do fashion and the perfect look still have the same importance as before?

Dani: My style hasn’t changed because of pregnancy. Even during pregnancy I didn’t just wear mom-to-be styles, but what I wanted to wear. After all, I’m not just a mom, I’m still a woman. I wear what I like, but it should still be comfortable. I love street style looks and I like to try things out. I love fashion.

A look into the future: Home sweet Home

FIV: In the last interview you wanted to dedicate the coming years to family planning. What are your plans/goals for your professional/personal future now? Anything coming up in the near future? Is there anything special coming up in our news feed?

Dani: Of course we would love to have another sibling for Milo at some point, but we have no plan and no pressure. It comes as it comes.
In general, we would like to finish the renovation of our house and arrive. We long for a day when we feel bored again.

Professionally, I have arrived at the moment and am satisfied. But I already have a few new ideas and goals that I would like to implement soon, as soon as the time is there.
I would be very happy if you continue to accompany me on this journey.

LOVE Dani