Infant exposure

Infant exposure refers to a baby taking in cannabinoids or other substances through breast milk, secondhand smoke or accidental ingestion.

Cannabinoids are fat-soluble and pass into breast milk, where THC in particular can be detected for days after use and accumulates with repeated use. Infants metabolize these compounds slowly, and their brains are in a period of rapid development in which the endocannabinoid system helps guide neural wiring. Exposure can also happen through smoke or vapor in the home and, increasingly, through a child finding and eating an edible, which has become a recognized cause of pediatric poison-center calls.

Signs of significant infant exposure can include unusual sleepiness, poor feeding, low muscle tone, breathing changes and, in ingestion cases, loss of coordination or seizures; any suspected case is a medical emergency. U.S. health agencies advise against cannabis and cannabinoid use during breastfeeding because the long-term effects are unknown, and no amount has been shown to be safe. Research on cannabidiol specifically is very limited, so it is handled with the same caution.