One substance of rapidly growing public health interest is marijuana. With increasing access to legal recreational marijuana in the U.S., the question of the safety of its use during breastfeeding has risen in prominence.  Nearly 11% of women who are either pregnant or breastfeeding use marijuana; however, there are insufficient data on marijuana use during pregnancy and lactation or the potential developmental consequences for exposed children.

In response to the pervasive lack of data in this area, Mommy’s Milk has been awarded a three-year $110,000 grant from the Gerber Foundation to measure the concentration of cannabinoids (the various components of the Cannabis sativa plant) in human milk and to examine selected infant health related outcomes.

This work will begin to fill an important gap in public health knowledge, and will ultimately help support clinical guidance and education regarding marijuana use during lactation for obstetricians and pediatricians alike.

Mommy’s Milk was established in 2014 at the University of California San Diego’s Center for Better Beginnings with support from Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego. It is a national resource for multidisciplinary researchers seeking to study various aspects of breast milk in relation to health, disease and medication exposures.  To date, 530 breast milk samples are stored and available for research purposes.

Breastfeeding women can learn more about study participation at www.mommysmilkresearch.org or by sending an email to milkstudy@ucsd.edu. Researchers can contact the study manager directly.

Study Principal Investigator Contact: Dr. Christina D. Chambers, 858-246-1704, chchambers@ucsd.edu

Study Manager Contact: Kerri Bertrand, 858-246-1713, kdutcher@ucsd.edu

Learn More