Ketamine is predominantly a dissociative anaesthetic drug used both in human and animal medical practice, however, ketamine has been revealed to be a versatile drug in recent years and researchers have found that it has a multitude of uses in medicine and healthcare, including:
Because of its chemical design ketamine generates a range of desirable effects that recreational users find appealing and are keen to experience.
Ketamine has become a regular feature in the club and party scene for recreational users who either take the drug on its own and/or mixed in with other substances (including alcohol) to reach an elevated high.
These positive effects include:
Regardless of whether ketamine use is for medical purposes or recreational pleasures ingesting ketamine can cause significant harm to a woman’s unborn baby and may lead to complications and problems before and after the child is born. (1)
Pregnant women need to be extra cautious about everything that they consume during the time they are pregnant as any harmful chemicals can significantly affect the foetus and disrupt its development or cause defects and developmental problems later on.
Women who become pregnant or are thinking about starting a family need to ensure that they avoid ingesting any psychoactive drugs unless it is for medical reasons under the supervision of healthcare professionals. (10)
All medicines contain a wide range of chemicals that can generate extremely strong effects on the human body and central nervous system when taken.
This could be in order to treat a physical condition, eliminate infection, reduce pain or change a person’s mood and emotional state.
There are many chemicals present in all drugs, some of which can lead to other unintended effects which can cause us harm, particularly if taken over a long-term period. (7)
Ketamine is a particularly dangerous drug to consume without consulting medical experts. There are many uncertainties surrounding the drug and the way it behaves and the effects it has on people who take it.
Ketamine has been researched a lot in recent years and the research is ongoing as scientists seek to further understand many aspects of how the drug works.
Because of this uncertainty, there is always a degree of caution needed when taking the drug. The fact that ketamine has properties that have so many uses in the area of medicine illustrates what a challenging drug it is to research.
The fact that ketamine affects several different mechanisms in the brain, many of which are not fully understood reinforces its complex nature.
Ketamine does have different effects on the human body depending on dose size. When consumed at higher doses it acts like a depressant drug, and as more of the drug is taken its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects become stronger and potentially more unpleasant as people head towards anaesthesia.
Ketamine is a safe drug in the hands of medical practitioners but not recreational users regardless of how experienced in substance use they proclaim to be.
It is very a challenging drug to measure out a precise dose to as 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 for themselves or other people.
It is almost impossible for recreational users to obtain an accurate idea of the chemical composition of the doses they are consuming and which other drugs are mixed in with it. (4,6)
Although ketamine is a powerful drug pregnant women who are either receiving ketamine or about to receive ketamine for medical purposes need not be alarmed. This is because their GP or midwife will provide them with the necessary care, and information to guide their ketamine treatment.
Fortunately, people working in the medical community have comprehensive information relating to the strength and chemical composition of any ketamine the mother-to-be may be required to take for medical purposes.
This will ensure that they are never taking ketamine at a level that could cause themselves or their unborn baby any harm.
A woman who has recently become pregnant and who is taking ketamine under medical supervision should not be too alarmed but should inform her doctor as soon as possible so that a new care plan can be devised. (1)
There are several factors to consider when doctors decide whether ketamine use is a safe form of treatment for a pregnant woman, or whether it may be deemed to be too much of a risk, these include:
In recent years scientific analysis has led to ketamine being discovered as an effective anti-depressant medicine that can take effect very quickly. The increasing use of ketamine to alleviate depressive symptoms has concerned scientists recently.
This is because research has uncovered data that may indicate that ketamine’s chemicals can cause a high degree of toxicity to both developing foetuses and the sensitive and undeveloped brains of young infants. (4,8)
The recent popularity of ketamine as a party and club drug has led to an increase in the number of people who have taken the drug and the longer-term consequences of such social behaviour. There is also an increase in the number of women who take ketamine recreationally.
There is a significant amount of scientific research available carried out on women that consumed ketamine when pregnant which suggests that children’s brains are vulnerable to becoming damaged if they are exposed to ketamine’s chemicals.
The chemicals in ketamine can cause harm to their child before or after birth. The developing brain is far more vulnerable to the harmful effects of ketamine compared to the matured adult brain. (2,8)
Ketamine is a drug that easily passes to the brain when consumed in adults meaning it can take effect almost very quickly, this can lead to a rapid build-up in the unborn foetus of a mother who has taken ketamine.
Unfortunately, ketamine can pass 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.
There have been research studies published that reveal that the presence of ketamine has been identified in the hair strand samples of young children born to a mother who was known to be a recreational drug user who frequently took ketamine. (1,10)
When combing all the research studies investigating the effects of ketamine on pregnancy the findings strongly indicate that unborn children being exposed to ketamine could suffer significant chemical changes in their brains.
This will affect the way the child functions and there may also be a wide range of cognitive and behavioural problems that appear.
Some of these effects may not become apparent until adolescence or early adulthood and may appear in the form of psychiatric disorders, such as depression or schizophrenia. (1,10)
Research on ketamine exposure in animals has revealed that exposure to ketamine before birth can lead to a range of negative consequences related to social isolation and a drop in motivation (apathy).
There are also likely to be impairments to cognitive functions required for attention, memory and learning which may become apparent later in childhood or early adulthood.
As children reach the adolescent phase the following problems were also likely to develop:
Ketamine is primarily a dissociative anaesthetic used to sedate patients before operations and clinical observations by doctors have revealed that the use of any drugs that produce an anaesthetic effect is potentially very harmful to young children.
This is because it can lead to damage and disruption to neural processes which may become apparent as the child gets older. This also applies to unborn children that may be passed these toxic chemicals by their mothers.
It is clear that ketamine has the potential to severely impact brain development during the early, crucial stages of a child’s/foetus progress and cause irreversible damage to cognition, emotional behaviour and intellectual development later in childhood and adolescence. (6,9)
Results of several studies have shown that consuming ketamine can trigger a significant amount of cell death throughout the underdeveloped brain of young children, affecting the health and efficiency of many neural mechanisms which can disrupt normal brain functioning. (1)
Healthy neural connections in the brain are essential for healthy brain functioning and several cognitive processes.
The toxic effects of ketamine also disrupt the development of new neural connections being formed in the brain in young children.
The connection between all the neurons that operate to make the brain function is affected by the toxic chemicals in ketamine which can interfere with many functions that the brain carries out, these include:
The prefrontal cortex plays a key role in decision-making and inhibiting emotional responses when faced with stressful situations.
In several animal studies, scientists found that the offspring of mothers who consumed ketamine while they were pregnant suffered severe damage and death to a significant number of cells and neural connections in the prefrontal cortex.
This area of the brain controls the key process for making important decisions and controlling emotions. (1)
Anyone woman who is planning on having children or has just discovered they are pregnant should seek specialist treatment if they feel that their ketamine use has gotten out of control.
This is likely to be the case if they are unable to stop taking ketamine or experience strong withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to suddenly stop taking ketamine.
It is essential to seek medical advice as soon as possible to fully protect the developing foetus.
Women who have just found out that they are pregnant and use ketamine recreationally should stop using the drug immediately and seek professional medical advice at the earliest opportunity. This is likely to be challenging for regular users that have developed a physical dependence on ketamine.
Despite wanting to give up ketamine people who take the drug recreationally find it difficult to stop as they may have lost control of their ability to control their ketamine use.
This could be because they have developed a physical dependence on the drug indicated by the presence of withdrawal symptoms which are likely to appear if they have been using the drug for a sustained period. (7)
These withdrawal symptoms may include:
These withdrawal symptoms can impact the foetus and the course of pregnancy as a whole.
Because of the seriousness of the situation, it may be recommended that pregnant women undergo a residential rehab programme to help treat their ketamine addiction.
By attending a residential drug rehab programme they can be carefully monitored by medical staff around the clock. This helps to provide immediate support if any medical emergencies or moments of panic occur so they can receive help immediately.
Being based in a residential setting also ensures that pregnant women are not tempted back into ketamine use by negative influences from their domestic and social lives.
This is an important consideration as such lapses could have serious consequences for the mother and unborn child.
Receiving a physical drug detox is essential as it will help to eliminate the presence of harmful toxins from the woman’s body and therefore drastically reduce the harm to the foetus.
The withdrawal process can last from 1-4 weeks and possibly longer depending on the severity of the patient’s addiction.
The detox treatment schedule will be overseen by medical professionals who will support the patient as they come off the drug both physically and emotionally. Some of the withdrawal symptoms can be quite intense and cause cravings.
However, staff will be able to prescribe certain medications to help alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms should they become too uncomfortable. (7)
A programme of psychological interventions should be offered to women to help them overcome the emotional reasons behind their ketamine addiction so they can avoid harming their unborn babies further during the term of their pregnancy.
Psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) and group therapy are important parts of residential-based treatment programmes.
This allows mothers to be to find the time and space they need to gain the reflective and psychological skills to work through their addiction towards recovery. (3)
It is unfeasible and unrealistic to expect pregnant women to spend 9 months in residential rehab before their baby is born so part of their 28-day treatment programme will focus on providing them with essential cognitive skills that will enable them to avoid relapsing.
Attending relapse prevention workshops will help soon-to-be mothers reflect on the situations in their lives that may lead to them experiencing an urge or craving to take ketamine again.
Revisiting the environment and context of their ketamine use has been found to play a significant role in triggering a relapse.
This also includes being in the company of people who are highly influential and capable of tempting a person back into ketamine use. (3,7)
Once these high-risk situations have been identified a plan can be developed to help pregnant women resist the temptation to use ketamine again when they encounter high-risk situations.
Treatment providers will also devise an aftercare plan so that the woman will receive ongoing specialist care once she has left the residential treatment setting after completing her treatment programme. (7)
Aftercare plans help patients who have gone through substance misuse treatment maintain their recovery by continuing to offer information, support and guidance in several key areas, including:
Pregnant women receiving treatment for ketamine misuse while pregnant will have the full support of a multi-disciplinary team who will look after all of their care and treatment needs during their pregnancy term.
All of these healthcare professionals will liaise with each other and the patient to ensure she and her baby receive the best care possible to help the mother overcome her ketamine addiction and ensure the healthy delivery of her baby. (3)
The multi-disciplinary team may include:
There is a growing concern about the health of the children of pregnant mothers who have developed substance use disorders.
In response to this, the WHO have developed guidelines to advise clinicians and healthcare organisations on the best working practices for treating women who have developed an addiction to drugs or alcohol whilst pregnant. (9)
The treatment advice they offer falls into the following areas:
(1) Cheung, H., & Yew, D., (2019) Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Ketamine on the Developing Brain. Frontiers in Neuroscience. available@ Frontiers | Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Ketamine on the Developing Brain (frontiersin.org)
(2) Department of Justice / Drug Enforcement Agency (2022) Ketamine Fact Sheet. available@Drug Fact Sheet: Ketamine (dea.gov)
(3) Ghodse, H. (2002) Drugs and Addictive Behaviour: A guide to treatment Cambridge University Press.
(4) Health Direct Australia (2022) Ketamine. available@Ketamine | healthdirect
(5) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022) Ketamine. available@Ketamine | Drugs | BNF | NICE
(6) Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (2022) Ketamine: Risks and Benefits. available@Risks and benefits – Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
(7) Rassool, G.H. (2011) Understanding Addictive Behaviours. Palgrave MacMillan. New York.
(8) Rosenbaum, S. et al (2022) Ketamine. available@Ketamine – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
(9) World Health Organisation (2023) Guidelines for the identification and management of substance use and substance use disorders in pregnancy. available@ 14081_WHO Substance use and substance use disorders in pregnancy.
(10) Zhao, T. et al (2016) Prenatal ketamine exposure causes abnormal development of the prefrontal cortex in rats. Scientific Reports (6) available@Prenatal ketamine exposure causes abnormal development of the prefrontal cortex in rat | Scientific Reports (nature.com)
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
