MotherToBaby

Medications and More during pregnancy and breastfeeding

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Diazepam (Valium®)

Selected References:

  • Aarskog D. 1975. Association between maternal intake of diazepam and oral clefts. Lancet 2:921.
  • Borgatta L, et al. 1997. Clinical significance of methohexital, meperidine, and diazepam in breast milk. J Clin Pharmacol 37:186-92.
  • Brandlistuen R, et al. 2017. Association of prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines and child internalizing problems: A sibling-controlled cohort study. PLoS ONE 12(7):e0181042.
  • Calderon-Margalit R, et al. 2009. Risk of preterm delivery and other adverse perinatal outcomes in relation to maternal use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 201(6):579.e1-579.e8.
  • Czeizel, A. 1988. Lack of evidence of teratogenicity of benzodiazepine drugs in Hungary. Reproductive Toxicology 1(3):183-188.
  • Czeizel A, et al. 1999. The effect of diazepam and promethazine treatment during pregnancy on the somatic development of human offspring. Neurotoxicol Teratol 21(2):157-167.
  • Engeland A, et al. 2013. Effects of preconceptional paternal drug exposure on birth outcomes: cohort study of 340 000 pregnancies using Norwegian population-based databases. Br J Clin Pharmacol 75(4):1134-41.
  • Freeman M, et al. 2018. Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes after benzodiazepine exposure during pregnancy: Results from a prospective registry of women with psychiatric disorders. General Hospital Psychiatry 53:73-79.
  • Kjaer D, et al. 2007. Use of phenytoin, phenobarbital, or diazepam during pregnancy and risk of congenital abnormalities: a case-time-control study. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 16(2):181-188.
  • Laegreid L, et al. 1990. Congenital malformations and maternal consumption of benzodiazepines: a case-control study. Dev Med Child Neurol 32(5):432-441.
  • Laegreid L, et al. 1992. Neurodevelopment in late infancy after prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines–a prospective study. Neuropediatrics 23(2):60-67.
  • Laegreid L, et al. 1992. The effect of benzodiazepines on the fetus and the newborn. Neuropediatrics 23(1):18-23.
  • Ornoy A, et al. 1998. Is benzodiazepine use during pregnancy really teratogenic? Reproductive Toxicology 12(5):511-515.
  • Rementeria J, Bhatt K. 1977. Withdrawal symptoms in neonates from intrauterine exposure to diazepam. J Pediatr 90(1):123-126.
  • Rosenberg L, et al. 1983. Lack of relation of oral clefts to diazepam use during pregnancy. N Engl J Med 309:1282–1285.
  • Safra M, Oakley G. 1975. Association between cleft lip with or without cleft palate and prenatal exposure to diazepam. Lancet 2:478–480.
  • Salisbury AL, et al. 2016. The Roles of Maternal Depression, Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Treatment, and Concomitant Benzodiazepine Use on Infant Neurobehavioral Functioning Over the First Postnatal Month. Am J Psychiatry 173:2, 147-157.
  • Saxen I, Saxen L. 1975. Association between maternal intake of diazepam and oral clefts. Lancet 2:498.
  • Shiono PH, Mills JL. 1984. Oral clefts and diazepam use during pregnancy. N Engl J Med 311:919–920.
  • Wesson D, et al. 1985. Diazepam and desmethyldiazepam in breast milk. J Psychoactive Drugs 17(1):55-56.
  • Wikner BN, et al. 2007. Use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine receptor agonists during pregnancy: neonatal outcome and congenital malformations. Pharmacoepi & Drug Safety 16(11):1203-10.
  • Yonkers KA, et al. 2017. Association of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and benzodiazepine treatment during pregnancy with risk of adverse birth outcomes. JAMA Psychiatry 74(11): 1145-1152.