Is It Safe To Use CBD While Breastfeeding?
Sushi, wine, and coffee are just a few of the food items many women are advised to stay away from during pregnancy (via Healthline). Aside from food items, health officials also warn the public about the potential implications of smoking while pregnant. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that smoking tobacco poses health risks to the baby both while in the womb, as well as after birth. Smoking can result in birth defects including lung and brain damage.
Whatever a mother consumes has the potential to be transferred to the baby through breast milk, according to Parents. If you choose to breastfeed your child, is the ingestion of CBD cause for concern in the same way smoking is? Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second-most prominent ingredient in marijuana after THC (via the Harvard Medical School). Whether in the form of a cream, oil, or gummy, CBD is thought to help relieve depression symptoms, anxiety, PTSD, allergies, joint pain, as well as seizure disorders, according to Medical News Today. While it's the THC that is responsible for the "high" experienced when smoking marijuana, are there still health risks nursing mothers should be aware of when it comes to their newborn?
Low levels of THC can be transferred through breast milk
It's important to note that there are different kinds of CBD, which vary in their chemical makeup. For example, full-spectrum CBD and broad-spectrum CBD contain minor amounts of THC. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of CBD products containing less than 0.3% of THC, it still advises those who are nursing or pregnant to stay away from THC altogether (via Medical News Today).
Although CBD is not psychoactive on its own, studies have shown that low levels of THC can be transferred from mother to baby through breast milk (via Parents). While these studies have only been exclusive to marijuana use rather than CBD usage, medical experts still advise erring on the side of caution. "We truly do not know what short- or long-term impact on the baby it may have ... Unfortunately, there is no safety data to allow a doctor to recommend the use of cannabis or CBD," board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Felice Gersh told Parents.