Postpartum Marijuana Use, Perceptions of Safety, and Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration: An Analysis of PRAMS Data From Seven States, 2017.
Kelsey C Coy, Sarah C Haight, Erica Anstey and 3 others
PMID 33586506WHAT IT FOUND
Postpartum marijuana use was not associated with breastfeeding initiation or duration.
Among users, thinking it is safe for breastfeeding women to use marijuana was associated with starting breastfeeding and continuing beyond 12 weeks.
Key findings
01Postpartum marijuana use was not significantly associated with breastfeeding initiation or duration beyond 12 weeks in adjusted analysis.
02Among postpartum marijuana users, believing it was safe for breastfeeding women to use marijuana was associated with being 1.22 times as likely to initiate breastfeeding and 1.57 times as likely to breastfeed beyond 12 weeks than users who did not believe it was safe, after adjustment.
03The weighted prevalence of postpartum marijuana use was 5.5% (n = 366; 95% CI [4.6, 6.6]).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Marijuana use was self-reported and may under-estimate true prevalence because of social desirability bias. The data are cross-sectional, so the study cannot show that marijuana use or safety beliefs caused breastfeeding behavior. Results may not generalize outside the seven states because marijuana legalization and criminalization differ. The survey asked only about general postpartum marijuana use, not frequency, mode, timing, or duration of use. Women were included only if their infants were at least 12 weeks old, which may miss earlier breastfeeding patterns. Breastfeeding duration did not capture exclusive breastfeeding, so some women may have combined formula and human milk. The survey asked only about marijuana or hash, so CBD use may not be captured or separated. The sample may overinclude groups harder to contact, such as Hispanic, non-White, adolescent, and lower-education women, because phone follow-up was used.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lack of association between postpartum marijuana use and breastfeeding as evidence that marijuana is safe for a breastfeeding infant. The study did not measure infant exposure or outcomes, cannot prove causality, and the paper says how long marijuana remains in human milk, the infant dose, long-term effects, and a safe waiting period are unknown.