CBD Oil for Children

Alexandra Campbell • January 22, 2019 • About CBD, FAQ

When new potential methods of healing become accessible, it’s essential for us, as a society, to pay attention. This fact is especially true when it comes to children’s health. Right now, society is beginning to pay attention to CBD oil, the popular new remedy that is bringing relief to a variety of ailments. Today we’re going to discuss using CBD for children.

While your first reaction to the idea of CBD oil for children might be shock or even concern, there’s actually a respectable amount of research that supports CBD oil for children as useful in certain medical circumstances.

It is important to note that CBD is not psychoactive (unlike its cousin THC), so CBD will not get your children high. So, the research focuses on the potential medical benefits and safety of CBD for children.

In this article, we’ll assess the current research on CBD oil for children and the most prevalent disorders it can help address and then look at what the future might hold in the world of CBD oil for children.

CBD Oil for Children: The Beginning

In 2013, Charlotte Figi, a child with Dravet syndrome, was suffering from a severe case of intense and long-spanning seizures. Charlotte’s disorder, also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy, was particularly incapacitating to the young girl.

Not only did her seizures last upwards of an hour most times, but she was also experiencing up to 300 seizures per week.

Charlotte’s parents were trying to mitigate their daughter’s symptoms since a very early age; Charlotte began experiencing seizures only a short three months after being born. The repercussions of the young girl’s Dravet syndrome was taking a continuously more severe toll on her health.

As Charlotte got older, the seizures became worse and more frequent. Also, her cognitive function was declining, and Charlotte began demonstrating Autistic-like behavior.

Charlotte was only three years old when she was wheelchair-ridden, unable to speak, and incapable of eating. Despite having most of the best anti-convulsant medications on the market, Charlotte’s symptoms didn’t get any better.

Not to mention, the number of chemicals being pumped into the young girl’s body was worrisome, to say the least.

Then, a stroke of luck happened; Charlotte’s grandfather found that another child suffering from Dravet Syndrome had found success in using CBD as a form of treatment.

Shortly after that, Charlotte’s parents found a medical marijuana supplier based in Colorado who had a product that was low in THC and high in CBD. THC is another popular cannabinoid, known for its ability to get its users high. CBD, on the other hand, is known for the healing benefits of the cannabis plant without the psychoactive aspects. In that respect, this product was especially appropriate as a possible treatment, since it would not cause a “high” in the child.

In the end, CBD did wonders on Charlotte’s health and well-being. She went from having 300 seizures a week to having none after the first week of taking CBD.

Charlotte’s success spread the idea of CBD oil for children like wildfire. Other parents with children suffering from similar ailments, along with the medical and scientific communities, began taking notice.

Since then, children all over the world are being exposed to CBD as an option in the treatment of their ailments, and many are seeing promising results. CBD oil for children is a growing medical option of which many parents are hopeful.

CBD Oil for Children: The Research So Far

One study performed in mid-2018 tested for the efficacy of CBD-enriched medical cannabis as a potential treatment option for kids with epilepsy.

The study found CBD-enriched cannabis to be a very promising anti-seizure option. In concordance with recent encouraging evidence, this open-label study, which relied on parental reporting, showed that CBD-enriched cannabis extract appears to have potential anti-seizure effects as an add-on treatment in pediatric patients.

The authors of the study speak about the need for future controlled studies of cannabis products which use consistent formulations and strict methodology to assess the effectiveness of various compounds in the plant.

In particular, the researchers pose that we must test the long-term efficacy of cannabis in CBD for kids. Ultimately, they suggest that the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory mechanism by which CBD potentially controls seizure activity to be further explored.

Another study looked at the effects cannabidiol would have on children who were currently treated for treatment-resistant Lennox-gastaut Syndrome. The researchers noted that on April 19th, 2018, the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Advisory Committee of the FDA unanimously voted that the risk-benefit profile of cannabidiol was favorable for the treatment of seizures in LGS and Dravet syndrome in patients greater than 2 years of age.

The results of this study were vital in putting CBD oil for children on track for final FDA approval.

One particularly thorough study, albeit one of the earlier ones released, set out to review all of the current research about cannabinoids and their effects on children and adolescents.

The above study was done before the findings of CBD’s effectiveness in various seizure-based disorders, which is important to keep in mind. Ultimately, the review found evidence that CBD oil for children was most influential for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The study also noted the increasing evidence of CBD benefits for epilepsy.

Another disease that afflicts approximately 1 in 59 children in the U.S., is autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One study, although promising for CBD treating autism for adults and children alike, concluded that much more research is needed to make a substantial claim on CBD’s ability to help treat autism. Luckily, the number of studies have increased since then and we’re now finding more evidence than ever to support CBD oil for children with autism.

The Future of CBD Oil for Children

The studies mentioned above are not the only ones focusing on CBD oil for children, and this is a wonderful sign.

Research is mounting on this particular topic, which brings much hope to children and adolescents who are troubled by some of these very serious diseases.

While CBD oil for children seems to be especially promising about seizure-related disorders, it’s likely that more research will support the use of CBD oil for children for other conditions as well. The most important point, though, is that so far the evidence of these early studies indicates that CBD is safe for children.