Survey Finds That A couple of Fifth of Autism Dad and mom and Caregivers Have Given CBD to Their Baby
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is used by many people to help with a wide variety of problems, including epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain. Some parents with children on the autism spectrum also turn to CBD to help their children manage common symptoms of the disorder.
A new survey by Autism Parenting Magazine found that roughly one-fifth of caregivers had given someone on the Spectrum CBD to their child. Of the 160,000 nurses surveyed, 18.6% said they had tried this approach to relieve symptoms. There was some geographic divide: 22.16% of American respondents and 14.29% of UK respondents said they did.
Of the respondents, 72.4% said they were parents with autism, the rest are a mix of grandparents, full-time carers, teachers, therapists, doctors or people from the spectrum themselves.
There were a number of symptoms they wanted to address. Almost half (42.9%) said that CBD was used for anxiety, 36.9% said it was for challenging behavior, 8.1% tried to help sleep or relax, and 5.1% for that Pain relief and 4.3% for seizures.
Dr. Bao Le from Hhemp.co is one such parent. He says, “I have personally given my autistic son CBD for over seven years and it has helped him manage his night terrors, grand mal seizures, and tantrums. CBD has given me and my son support to help with his anxiety and hyperactive brain. I am now blessed with a son who is more loving and can express himself verbally and in facial expressions. I can’t say that CBD will help all children with autism, but it has definitely helped and changed the life of my son and my family. “
Families have felt an increased need for help with worsening symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked if they started taking CBD during the pandemic, 31.3% said they did. Another 16.6% said they had increased the amount they give their child since the pandemic started.
Dr. Le says staying home and not going to familiar places or outdoor businesses has increased stress and anxiety. When this happened, parents who already trusted CBD were ready to use it. Others were willing to try it out.
Autistic attorney, speaker and poet Russell Lehmann says, “The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most difficult times in recent human history, and people are prioritizing their self-care like never before. Hence, many people who may have overlooked CBD in the past are now realizing the benefits of the cannabis plant. Although CBD has no psychoactive effects, when combined with small amounts of THC (the ingredient in the cannabis plant that causes a high) it can greatly increase the above benefits while reducing the likelihood of getting high from the THC. “
Given the inevitable concerns about that “high,” Dr. Le that the effects of CBD are milder than those of cannabis or THC. Legally, CBD and hemp are allowed to contain less than 0.3% THC. As a result, CBD is more likely to be associated with healing and anxiety reduction.
Because CBD was milder, respondents had used it on children ages 0-18. However, it was most common in teenagers and only 5.38% of parents used it in children up to three years of age.
If you are interested in trying CBD to relieve some of your child’s autism symptoms, Dr. Le you to ask questions about using only products with laboratory results and product ingredients on their websites and starting slowly.
For more information on this survey and thoughts from doctors, visit the Autism Parenting Magazine website.
