Smoking marijuana when you are not pregnant is not good, but smoking marijuana while you are pregnant is worse! First of all frequently smoking marijuana may decrease your chances of conceiving. If you are lucky enough to be able to conceive while smoking marijuana, continued use of marijuana may be very harmful to your unborn baby.
THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the main mind-altering chemical in marijuana, there are also more than 400 other toxic chemicals in marijuana that can be harmful to the user and unborn baby.During a woman’s first trimester (first 3 months of pregnancy) a woman is to be considered very vulnerable and is usually instructed to be more per cautious.A woman who smokes marijuana in her first trimester is twice as likely to have a miscarriage than a women who does not smoke.If a women who is pregnant and smokes marijuana is lucky enough to carry her baby to it’s second trimester, the unborn baby is still potentially at risk .Another factor that should be taken into consideration is that a women who smokes marijuana while pregnant is at risk for pregnancy complications, problems with labor and delivery and a chance of the baby being born at very low birth weight.
The effects of marijuana on a unborn baby are quite disturbing.When a women smokes marijuana while pregnant, the toxic chemical THC is passed thru the placenta ultimately affecting the unborn baby in many harmful ways. Unborn baby’s exposed to marijuana in the womb could be born very small and in some cases be born with deformalities.Marijuana exposure to the unborn baby may also result in neurological problems and delays. Verbal ability and memory problems could be an issue for children who were exposed to marijuana in the womb.In some studies it has been shown that children that were exposed to marijuana in the womb have problems with cognitive behavior and are more pone to develop ADD. Newborns exposed to pre-natal marijuana use may also experience mild withdrawl symptoms.
Unfortunately many women that smoke marijuana while pregnant are completely oblivious to the problems and complications that may occur.Another sad fact is that most women are misguided and wrongly informed, believing that marijuana is not harmful to there unborn baby, usually going on the advice of a friend that uses marijuana also.If you know someone that is pregnant and smokes marijuana or if you are pregnant and smoke marijuana the best gift you can give that unborn baby is to quit smoking or inform the person that smokes the dangers of what could happen.Remember babies are innocent and they deserve to start out life as healthy as possible.
