Popular anti-anxiety medications could be putting more than 1 million pregnant women at risk of miscarriage, a new study suggests.
Researchers from Taiwan studied more than 3 million pregnancies in 2 million women and found that 4.4 percent – or 136,130 – resulted in miscarriages.
They analyzed the medical histories of all the women studied and found that those prescribed a class of medications called benzodiazepines – used to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia – were on average 70 percent more likely to have a miscarriage compared to those who did not . the pills.
Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, are a group of sedative medications. The most well-known medications are Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin.
The researchers also noted that this increased risk existed even when other contributing factors, such as the woman's age and health, were taken into account.
Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, are a group of drugs used to treat insomnia, seizures, and anxiety disorders. The most well-known medications are Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin
The scientists also said their findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to “carefully balance the risk-benefit ratio when considering the use of benzodiazepines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and sleep disorders during pregnancy.”
It is estimated that approximately 1.7 percent of pregnant women (approximately 1.2 million) are prescribed these medications during the first trimester of their pregnancy – a number that has increased in recent years.
The study, published in the magazine JAMA Psychiatry, It looked at miscarriages only among women exposed to benzos before becoming pregnant, only during pregnancy, and during both periods.
Long-acting benzos – medications that are processed more slowly in the body, such as Valium, showed a 67 percent increased risk of miscarriage, while short-acting benzos, such as Versed, showed a 66 percent increased risk.
Alprazolam, the generic version of Xanax, showed the lowest risk association, at 39 percent.
When used during pregnancy, benzos can cross the barrier between the mother and the placenta, exposing a fetus to the drugs.
Researchers hypothesized that because of the role benzodiazepines play in cell development and growth, it is likely that exposure to benzodiazepines could cause developmental abnormalities in the fetus, which could ultimately lead to miscarriage.
While the study shows a link between benzos and miscarriages, researchers cannot establish a direct link.
The researchers took into account underlying conditions that may have led to a miscarriage, but did not take into account the impact of a combination of factors, such as smoking and anxiety, for example.
The findings are notable given the large number of pregnant women believed to be using the drug.
A 2020 study found that the international prevalence of benzos during pregnancy was 1.9 percent.
Meanwhile, another 2019 study found that two percent of pregnant women were given at least one benzodiazepine during pregnancy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that fewer than one in a hundred women used a benzodiazepine or antipsychotic during pregnancy.
The CDC said researchers are unsure whether birth defects or pregnancy complications are related to the drugs themselves or to the underlying mental health conditions for which these drugs are used.
And women who took these types of medications were more likely to have other factors that could lead to an increased risk of birth defects and pregnancy complications.
Studies on the impact of benzos on pregnancy and fetuses have produced mixed results.
A 2022 study of more than 1.5 million children found that benzodiazepine exposure during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a group of obstetricians and gynecologists who make medical recommendations to health care professionals and patients, stated that studies show that most antidepressants, which may include benzos, do not increase the risk of birth defects.
However, a 2020 study from researchers at Stanford University found that women who took benzos in the week before becoming pregnant had a 50 percent higher risk of ectopic pregnancy — a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus and is fatal for both the fetus as the mother.