Benzodiazepine Use in Pregnancy and the Risk of Pregnancy Outcomes

Is the use of benzodiazepine during pregnancy, compared with nonuse, associated with different risks of preterm birth and small for gestational age, while considering the risks of abortion and stillbirth?In this cohort study of 454 477 pregnancies, among live births, benzodiazepine use was associated with reduced risks of preterm birth and small for gestational age after adjusting for all measured confounders; however, benzodiazepine use was associated with an increased risk of abortion. After accounting for competing risks, benzodiazepine use was associated with increased risks of preterm birth and small for gestational age, with more pronounced effects observed after exposure during the second trimester.The findings of this study, after considering the association of competing events, suggested that benzodiazepine use was associated with increased risks of preterm birth and may also be associated with an increased risk of small for gestational age; however, the latter association was small and sensitive to the analytic method.

Corresponding Author: Edward Chia-Cheng Lai, PhD, School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical, Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan 701, Taiwan (edward_lai@mail.ncku.edu.tw).

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