ReviewJournal of cannabis research2022
Patient caught breastfeeding and instructed to stop: an empirical ethics study on marijuana and lactation.
Review in Journal of cannabis research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Medical Cannabis During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Is the Concern Fully Evidence-Based?Biomedicines · 2026Article
- Impact of policies on pregnant individuals using drugs: A narrative synthesis review of treatment, health care access, and outcomes.Stigma and health · 2026Article
- "1, 2, 3, Release": Cannabis Consumption and Mental Health and Well-Being During Pregnancy, Lactation and Parenthood.Cannabis (Albuquerque, N.M.) · 2026Article
- Legislation has Changed But Issues Remain: Provider Perceptions of Caring for People Who Use Cannabis During Pregnancy in Safety Net Health Settings, a Qualitative Pilot Study.Women's health reports (New Rochelle, N.Y.) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe US guidelines recommend avoiding marijuana during breastfeeding given concerns about infant's neurodevelopment. In this setting, some physicians and hospitals recommend against or prohibit breastfeeding when marijuana use is detected during pregnancy. However, breastfeeding is beneficial for infants and women, and stigmatization of substance use in pregnancy has been historically linked to punitive approaches with a disproportionate impact on minority populations. We advance an empirically informed ethical analysis of this issue.
methodsFirst, we performed a retrospective cross-sectional qualitative study of prenatal and postpartum records from a random sample of 150 women delivered in an academic hospital system in 2017 to provide evidence and context regarding breastfeeding management in relation to marijuana use. We then perform a scoping literature review on infant risks from breastmilk marijuana exposure and risks associated with not breastfeeding for infants and women. Finally, we analyze this issue vis-a-vis ethical principles of beneficence, autonomy, and justice.
results(1) Medical records reveal punitive language pertaining to the medicinal use of marijuana in pregnancy and misinterpretation of national guidelines, e.g., "patient caught breastfeeding and instructed to stop." (2) Though there are plausible neurodevelopmental harms from breastmilk exposure to THC, evidence of infant effects from breastmilk exposure to marijuana is limited and largely confounded by concomitant pregnancy exposure and undisclosed exposures. By contrast, health benefits of breastfeeding for women and infants are well-established, as are harms of forgoing breastfeeding. (3) Discouraging breastfeeding for women with marijuana use in pregnancy contradicts beneficence, as it neglects women's health considerations and incorrectly assumes that risks exceed benefits for infants. Restrictive hospital practices (e.g., withholding lactation support) compromise maternal autonomy and exploit power asymmetry between birthing persons and institutions, particularly when compulsory toxicology screening prompts child welfare investigations. Finally, recommending against breastfeeding during prenatal care and imposing restrictions during postpartum hospitalization may exacerbate racial disparities in breastfeeding and related health outcomes.
conclusionsPolicy interpretations which discourage rather than encourage breastfeeding among women who use of marijuana may cause net harm, compromise autonomy, and disproportionately threaten health and wellbeing of underserved women and infants.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.