06/03/2026
🌟Ketamine misuse in pregnancy🌟
Ketamine is predominantly a dissociative anaesthetic drug used both in human and animal medical practice.
Ketamine is a particularly dangerous drug to consume without medical guidance. There are many uncertainties surrounding the way it behaves and the effects it has on people who take it illicitly / recreationally.
It is very a challenging drug to measure out a precise dose and there is a small margin between experiencing its positive effects and slipping into an overdose. Recreational users are therefore more likely to make errors or miscalculations which could be fatal. As with all illicit drugs it is almost impossible to be sure of the chemical composition and what it is mixed with.
Ketamine passes through the blood-placental barrier extremely easily (usually in less than 2 minutes after being injected) which places unborn children at high risk of being exposed to its toxic effects.
Research studies investigating the effects of ketamine on pregnancy strongly indicate that unborn children being exposed to ketamine could suffer significant chemical changes in their brains. This can then lead to a wide range of cognitive and behavioural problems that may not be apparent until later in childhood / early adulthood (including anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, increased aggression and learning difficulties).
Chronic recreational ketamine use can cause severe, often permanent, bladder damage known as ketamine-induced cystitis or ketamine urinary tract syndrome. This condition poses significant risks during pregnancy due to the potential for urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney damage, and complications with labour and delivery.
Please be open and honest with your healthcare provider (GP, Midwife) if you are using Ketamine to appropriate support can be put in place to help you stop using this drug safely.
Further reading about drug misuse in pregnancy:
🔶https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/illegal-or-recreational-drugs-and-pregnancy
🔷https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/drug-addiction-getting-help/
🔶https://www.talktofrank.com/
🔷https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a541318/illegal-drugs-in-pregnancy