Cannabis and Alcohol in Pregnancy

"Avoiding alcohol during pregnancy is a core message from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). No amount, timing, or type of alcohol is safe in pregnancy, and abstinence is always best. Cannabis use during pregnancy is also risky. However, for pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD), the CDC and National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) recommend medication with methadone or buprenorphine and therapy."

"Despite clear admonitions to avoid alcohol in pregnancy, U.S. surveillance data from large national surveys consistently demonstrate that alcohol use during pregnancy is common. CDC analyses of the National S urvey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and related data show that 13% to14% of pregnant women had current alcohol use (during the past 30 days), and about 5% reported binge drinking. The figures represent hundreds of thousands of pregnancies annually with alcohol exposure."

"Alcohol quickly crosses the placenta, but the fetus has limited capacity to metabolize it, resulting in prolonged exposure during critical periods of growth and brain development. The fetal central nervous system is particularly vulnerable to alcohol. Neurodevelopmental harm may occur even in the absence of facial or growth abnormalities in the newborn. Alcohol causes a spectrum of lifelong conditions collectively referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). They include growth restriction, characteristic craniofacial features, structural"

Avoiding alcohol during pregnancy is the recommendation from CDC and ACOG; no amount, timing, or type of alcohol is safe and abstinence is best. Cannabis use during pregnancy is also risky. For pregnant women with opioid use disorder, CDC and NIDA recommend methadone or buprenorphine plus therapy; medication for opioid use disorder improves outcomes and should begin early in pregnancy. National survey data show 13–14% of pregnant women reported current alcohol use and about 5% reported binge drinking, representing hundreds of thousands of pregnancies annually. Many pregnant drinkers lack health care access and experience frequent mental stress. Alcohol crosses the placenta and causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Read at Psychology Today