Popular anti-anxiety drugs may increase the risk of miscarriage for more than a million pregnant women, according to a new study.
Researchers from Taiwan examined 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 records of all the women studied and found that those prescribed a class of drugs called benzodiazepines – used to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia – were on average 70 per cent more likely to miscarry get if those who do not . the pills.
Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, are a group of depressants. The most famous drugs are Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin.
The researchers also found that this increased risk existed even when other factors such as the woman’s age and health were taken into account.
Benzodiazepines, also called benzos, are a group of medicines used to treat insomnia, seizures and anxiety disorders. The most famous drugs are Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin
The scientists also said their findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to “carefully weigh the risk-benefit ratio when considering the use of benzodiazepines to treat psychiatric disorders and sleep disorders during pregnancy.”
It is estimated that around 1.7 percent of pregnant women (around 1.2 million) are prescribed this medication in the first trimester of their pregnancy – a number that has increased in recent years.
the study room, published in the magazine JAMA Psychiatry, Miscarriages were investigated only in women exposed to benzos before pregnancy, only during pregnancy and in both periods.
Long-acting benzos – medications that are processed more slowly in the body, such as: B. Valium – showed a 67 percent increased risk of miscarriage, while short-acting benzos like Versed showed a 66 percent increased risk.
Alprazolam, the generic version of Xanax, had the lowest risk association at 39 percent.
When taken during pregnancy, benzos can cross the barrier between the mother and the placenta, exposing the fetus to the drugs.
The researchers hypothesized that because of the role that benzodiazepines play in cell development and growth, exposure to benzodiazepines is likely to lead to developmental defects in the fetus that can ultimately lead to miscarriage.
Although the study shows a link between benzos and miscarriages, researchers cannot determine a direct link.
The researchers took into account underlying medical conditions that may have led to miscarriage, but did not take into account the effects of a combination of factors such as smoking and anxiety.
The results are striking given the large number of pregnant women likely to use the drug.
A 2020 study found that the global prevalence of benzos during pregnancy was 1.9 percent.
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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 less than one in one hundred women took a benzodiazepine or antipsychotic during pregnancy.
The CDC said researchers are not sure whether birth defects or pregnancy complications are related to the drugs themselves or to the underlying mental illnesses for which these drugs are used.
And women who took this type of medication were more likely to have other factors that led to an increased risk of birth defects and pregnancy complications.
Studies on the effects of benzos on pregnancy and fetuses have produced mixed results.
A 2022 study of more than 1.5 million children found that exposure to benzodiazepines 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 provide medical recommendations to healthcare professionals and patients, said studies show that most antidepressants, which can include benzos, do not increase the risk of birth defects.
However, a 2020 study by researchers at Stanford University found that women who took benzos in the week before pregnancy had a 50 percent higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy — a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus and for both fatal to both the fetus and the mother.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
