ArticlePloS one2017
Association of prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines and child internalizing problems: A sibling-controlled cohort study.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drug Medications During Antenatal and Postnatal Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening · 2025Pooled it
- Early environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders - a systematic review of twin and sibling studies.Development and psychopathology · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Prenatal exposure to sedative-hypnotics and the risk of ADHD and ASD in offspring: a nationwide population-based cohort study.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Article
- Prenatal Exposure to Anxiolytics: A Critical Review on Brain Development and Neurobehavioral Manifestations in Offspring.Neurotoxicity research · 2026Review
- Benzodiazepine or Z-hypnotic use during pregnancy and risk of psychiatric disorders in children: population based cohort study.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2026Article
- Prenatal Exposure to Antiseizure Medications and Risk of Epilepsy in Children of Mothers With Epilepsy.JAMA network open · 2024Article
- Trends in Drug Tests among Children: A 22-Year Retrospective Analysis.Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology · 2023Article
- Effects of prenatal exposure to (es)citalopram and maternal depression during pregnancy on DNA methylation and child neurodevelopment.Translational psychiatry · 2023Article
- Should Antidepressants be Avoided in Pregnancy?Drug safety · 2023Review
- Association of Prenatal Exposure to Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotics With Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Childhood.JAMA network open · 2022Article
- Prenatal Drug Exposure in Children With a History of Neuropsychiatric Care: A Nested Case-Control Study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Association of Maternal Use of Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotics During Pregnancy With Motor and Communication Skills and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Preschoolers.JAMA network open · 2019Article
- POMME: The New Cohort to Evaluate Long-Term Effects After Prenatal Medicine Exposure.Drug safety · 2019Observational
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDuring pregnancy, many women experience sleep problems and anxiety that require treatment. The long-term safety for the child of maternal benzodiazepine (BZD) and z-hypnotic use during pregnancy remains controversial.
methodWe conducted a cohort and a sibling control study using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Data on use of BZD and z-hypnotics, internalizing and externalizing outcomes, and covariates were collected from mothers at gestational weeks 17 and 30 and when children were 0.5, 1.5, and 3 years of age. The total sample consisted of 71,996 children (19,297 siblings) at 1.5 years and 55,081 children (13,779 siblings) at 3 years. Short-term use was defined as use in one pregnancy period only. Long-term use was defined as use in two or more pregnancy periods. Linear full cohort random-effect and sibling-matched fixed-effect regression models were used to compare internalizing and externalizing behavior in children prenatally exposed compared to those unexposed in the full cohort of pregnancies accounting for family clusters, as well as within sibling clusters comparing pregnancies with discordant exposures. Propensity score (PS) adjustment included variables on indication for use (sleep problems, symptoms of anxiety and depression) and other potential confounding factors.
resultsLong-term prenatal exposure to BZD or z-hypnotics was associated with increased internalizing behavior in crude cohort analyses and at age 1.5 years after PS adjustment in sibling-matched fixed-effect models [β 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.17-0.95]. Analyses on specific drug groups showed that prenatal exposure to BZD-anxiolytics was associated with increased internalizing problems at both 1.5 years [β 0.25, 0.01-0.49] and 3 years [β 0.26, 0.002-0.52] while exposure to z-hypnotics was not associated with any adverse outcomes after adjustment.
conclusionThe findings suggest a moderate association between BZD-anxiolytic exposure and child internalizing problems that is not likely due to stable familial confounding factors.
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