This one is controversial, and it is difficult to find conclusive evidence. Marijuana has been shown to help with dehabilitating morning sickness and nausea, but is there a health cost to the developing child? We recently had a patient concerned with whether to use marijuana to help with morning sickness. We found two studies, one stating that marijuana use while pregnant is not harmful to the fetus, and the other showing the opposite. Here are both studies, for your reference:
Melanie Dreher, RN, PhD, FAAN explains her cannabis and pregnancy research study in Jamaica. Pregnant women and their children were studied for over ten plus years, both marijuana smokers and non-smokers were included in the study. One of the first scientific studies of the effects that cannabis may have on pregnancy and the child’s development thereafter.
New England Journal of Medicine (Abstract):
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/320/12/762
Additionally:
From Drug Policy.org: Studies of newborns, infants, and children show no consistent physical, developmental, or cognitive deficits related to prenatal marijuana exposure. Marijuana had no reliable impact on birth size, length of gestation, neurological development, or the occurrence of physical abnormalities. The administration of hundreds of tests to older children has revealed only minor differences between offspring of marijuana users and nonusers, and some are positive rather than negative.
From MarijuanaPassion.com: This article provides insight from both perspectives:
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/The_Debate_on_the_Effects_of_Marijuana_Use_During_Pregnancy.html
What to consume while pregnant is always a difficult choice. We hope that this helps in some small way.