Prenatal Exposure to Benzodiazepines, Z-Hypnotics Not Linked to Psychiatric Disorders in Offspring

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By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on May 5, 2026.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, May 5, 2026 -- Prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics is not associated with an increased risk for psychiatric disorders in offspring when accounting for familial factors, according to a study published online April 29 in The BMJ.

Yongtai Cho, from Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, South Korea, and colleagues examined the association between prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics and 12 psychiatric disorders in children. The analysis included approximately 3.8 million liveborn children between 2010 and 2022, followed until 2023.

The researchers found that 2.5 percent of children were exposed to benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics during pregnancy. During the study period, prenatal exposure was associated with a higher risk for psychiatric disorders versus unexposed pregnancies and past users. However, in a sibling-controlled analysis, this association was attenuated (hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.94 to 1.04). There was no increased risk for individual psychiatric disorders. However, modestly elevated hazard ratios were seen for exposure during the second half of pregnancy for benzodiazepines (sibling-controlled HR, 1.27; 95 percent CI, 0.95 to 1.71) and for Z-hypnotics (HR, 1.81; 95 percent CI, 0.57 to 5.74), as well as during both the first and second half of pregnancy for benzodiazepines (sibling-controlled HR, 1.35; 95 percent CI, 0.93 to 1.96) and Z-hypnotics (HR, 1.44; 95 percent CI, 0.93 to 2.21).

"Given the increasing prevalence of pregnancies complicated by psychiatric conditions and the potential risks of untreated maternal illness, our results will help to inform individualized risk-benefit discussions when considering sedative therapy in pregnancy," the authors write.

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Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-06 02:14

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