The Fetal Safety of Benzodiazepines: An Updated Meta-analysis

Benzodiazepines are commonly used by women of reproductive age, and hence many pregnant women are exposed to them. An updated meta-analysis of their fetal safety synthesized nine studies with over one million pregnancies, yielding an odds ratio of 1.07 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.25). While benzodiazepines do not appear to increase teratogenic risk in general, case-controls suggest a twofold increased risk of oral cleft.