I have a question. How far back does the drug testing done on the placenta for a newborn baby go?

Question

I have a good friend who just found out she is pregnant. She is almost 5 months along, and she has recreationally used marijuana on an off. Obviously she wont any more but she is still worried that if it shows when she gives birth, she may lose her child. So someone please be nice!!! and awnser my question please.

Answer 1

I haven't heard about them testing your placenta. I'm sure if the baby is fine they get rid of it. With my last on my doctor showed it to us and them put it in the bin to get rid of body waste.  My 2 cents but like I said I didn't know that they do tests on it.

Answer 2

they wouldnt test the placenta unless the mother gave real concern for drug use, (eg. coming to her appointments high or drunk) having smoked marijuana a couple times before realizing she was preg is not of anyones concern.  infact a great deal of women have been intoxicated on one substance or another during the conception of their child.

your friend has absolutely nothing to worry about, and i even doubt she would if she smoked every day of her pregnancny, of getting her child taken from her i mean, though she shouldnt do it for the childs health.

Answer 3

who on earth told you they test the placenta for drugs!??

i've never heard of such a thing except in child abuse cases where the CAS is going after custody of a pregnant woman's baby because she is a danger to the child.

Answer 4

atleast she is going to stop now that she knows shes pregnant. i know one girl in town that smoked pot through her whole pregnancy... and now wonders why her son has developmental issues....

but, they didnt take her baby away...

Answer 5

I don't think they routinely test the placenta for drugs, but I may be wrong.

Answer 6

She will not loose her child.  There is a law called doctor patient confidentiality....... which protects her from such things..... Usually doctors do not test the placenta or baby for drugs.... unless they assume that the baby was born with an addiction (which marijuana does not produce drug addicted babies...... they usually test for these things when babies are showing symptoms of crack or heroin or other highly addictive dangerous drugs..... in the infant..... which in that case babies may need different care.)   I would suggest that she talks to her midwife about her past activities..... so that the midwife can give her the advice and support she needs throughout the rest of her pregnancy.  I have never heard of a mother loosing her baby over marijuana use before she knew she was pregnant.

Answer 7

I have never heard of the placenta being tested for drugs after a child is born. If it is, it's a new one on me.

My guess would be that it would stay in the placenta as long as it would in your system. A month or so?