Reproductive toxicology
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Reproductive toxicology · Nov 1994
ReviewThe effects of benzodiazepine use during pregnancy and lactation.
Although there are a number of studies and individual case reports concerning the use of benzodiazepines in human pregnancy, the data concerning teratogenicity and effects on postnatal development and behaviour are inconsistent. There is evidence from studies in the 1970s that first trimester exposure to benzodiazepines in utero has resulted in the birth of some infants with facial clefts, cardiac malformations, and other multiple malformations, but no syndrome of defects. Diazepam and chlordiazepoxide are amongst the drugs most frequently implicated in the earlier studies. ⋯ There is evidence that clonazepam, clorazepate, diazepam, lorazepam, midazolam, nitrazepam, and oxazepam are excreted into breast milk. The published data indicate that the levels detected in breast milk are low; therefore, the suckling infant is unlikely to ingest significant amounts of the drug in this way. Problems may arise if the infant is premature or has been exposed to high concentrations of drug either during pregnancy or at delivery.