Maternal and neonatal outcomes after benzodiazepine and benzodiazepine agonist exposure during pregnancy in women with mental disorders

Abstract

AimsTo compare the gestational age of neonates in utero exposed to benzodiazepines (BDZs) with nonexposed controls. Secondary objectives were birth weight, presence of congenital malformations, APGAR score and the need for >3 months (prolonged) maternal psychiatric care.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of women and neonates from 2013 to 2021 with univariate and multivariable analysis to study the associations between BDZ exposure and gestational age compared to nonexposed women with mental health problems.ResultsWe found that BDZ exposure was not associated with a lower gestational age. We found that women in the exposed group had an increased risk of psychiatric care (adjusted odds ratio 2.58 [95% confidence interval 1.71–3.91], P < .001).ConclusionWe found that in utero BDZ exposure was not associated with a significantly lower gestational age of the neonates and was associated with prolonged psychiatric care of their mothers.