Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40501494›Full record

ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence reports2025

Substance use and mental health characteristics among pregnant individuals with medical and non-medical benzodiazepine use early in pregnancy.

Ayesha C Sujan, Natalie E Slama, Brian T Bateman, Deborah Ansley, Carley Castellanos, Kelly C Young-Wolff

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ayesha C SujanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Natalie E SlamaDivision of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton, CA, USA.
Brian T BatemanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Deborah AnsleyRegional Offices, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton, CA, USA.
Carley CastellanosRegional Offices, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton, CA, USA.
Kelly C Young-WolffDivision of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Pleasanton, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Research to date evaluating the safety of benzodizapine use during pregnancy has shown mixed results and has relied on self-report or filled prescription data, which are unlikely to capture non-medical use and, consequently, could bias results. Therefore, research on non-medical benzodiazepine use during pregnancy is needed. Methods: The present study used data from a large, healthcare system with universal screening for prenatal substance use via urine toxicology tests and information on filled prescriptions. We first evaluated the prevalence of pregnancies with non-medical benzodiazepine use (positive urine toxicology test and no filled prescriptions in the past year) and medical benzodiazepine use (positive urine toxicology test and >1 filled prescription in the past year). We also evaluated the presence of co-occurrence of substance use and mental health conditions among these pregnancies. Results: Our results showed that benzodiazepine use during early pregnancy was rare (<1 % had a positive toxicology test). However, more than one-third of those with a positive toxicology test did not have a filled prescription (i.e., had non-medical use) We also found similar rates of substance use and mental health conditions among pregnancies with medical and non-medical benzodiazepine use. Conclusion: Our results suggest that research relying on prescription data alone and the medical system may be missing pregnant individuals using benzodiazepines. This points to a need for additional measures and screenings (e.g., urine toxicology tests) in both research and clinical settings. Our findings also underscore a need for additional services for pregnant individuals with both medical and non-medical benzodiazepine use.

Indexed as

BenzodizapineMental healthPregnancySubstances

Identifiers

PMID40501494
PMCPMC12152332

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.