Baby given cannabis oil at Children's Hospital

A baby girl who began having life-threatening seizures within days of her birth is receiving hemp oil while in the neonatal intensive-care unit at Children's Hospital Colorado, her mother says.

Amylea Faith Nuñez's parents drove to Colorado Springs to buy the liquid form of marijuana this week after they say neurologists at Children's said they could give it to their daughter. The two-month-old girl took her first dose Thursday from a tiny syringe her mother squirted into her mouth, according to our partners at the Denver Post. 

Children's Hospital Colorado does not prescribe or recommend medical marijuana, as it is not FDA-approved. 

Nicole Nuñez, mother of the baby girl, said the infant started taking Charlotte's web CBD oil. She added the baby is enrolled in a case study at Children’s. 

Children's spokeswoman Elizabeth Whitehead said the hospital could not comment on any specific case because of patient privacy laws, but released the following statement: 

We don’t yet have the science to fully understand medical marijuana and how it impacts children, which is why Children’s Colorado supports research to determine the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana. Children’s  Colorado has a CDPHE-funded medical marijuana study that is strictly observational to assess response rates, changes in behavior and side effects of artisanal marijuana products on children with severe epilepsy. Enrollment starts at one-month of age. This study is for families who choose to provide  artisanal marijuana to their children for epilepsy, and Children’s Colorado providers do NOT administer the marijuana.

Medical providers do not know the long-term effects that marijuana will have on learning, memory and behavior, especially in infants and young children. We have more questions than answers. This is a tough issue, especially in Colorado where families have easier access to medical marijuana.

If a family makes the tough decision to explore the use of medical marijuana, Children’s Colorado will continue to provide care to these children. Most of these families have children with very complex medical needs, and Children’s Colorado wants to continue to see them, help to monitor them and be on the lookout for potential adverse side effects.

Someone close to the family has set up a GoFundMe account in order to help them with medical expenses.