Can You Give Benzodiazepines In Pregnancy In The First Trimester?

Pregnancy is a time of excitement and happiness. But it also comes with some major share of anxiety, stress and sleeplessness. Taking benzos for your anxiety and stress is completely normal but what happens when you get pregnant? Are these benzos safe during pregnancy?  What can be the risks of benzodiazepines in pregnancy? In this article we will discuss everything there is to know bout Benzodiazepines in Pregnancy. But before any of that let’s just take a quick look at what exactly Benzos are. 

What Are Benzodiazepines?

Benzos are sedative-hypnotic drugs that belong to the drug class of CNS depressants. It is commonly prescribed to treat anxiety, insomnia, panic disorders and seizures. Benzos help with anxiety by enhancing GABA.  Some of the most well-known benzos include Diazepam (Valium), Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan) and Clonazepam (Klonopin). They are controlled substances which means they have a serious risk of building tolerance and eventually will lead to dependency and addiction.

Why Are Benzodiazepines Used During Pregnancy?

Most women try to avoid taking medications during pegnancy but some women worldwide are prescribed to take benzos. This only happens when the situation is serious. Situations such as severe anxiety or panic attacks, insomnia affecting overall health or seizures can call for the doctor to prescribe benzos. In which case the doctor first weighs the benefits vs potential risks of using benzos and prescribes you the medicine. 

Potential Risks & Side effects of benzodiazepines during pregnancy

This is the part that concerns most people. Benzodiazepines have a lot of risk factors when taken in pregnancy. Understanding these risks can help you avoid benzo addiction. Risks such as:

Miscarriage: Benzos during pregnancy can increase the risk of a miscarriage happening. About a 70% more chance of miscarriage if taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. 

Congenital Malformations: Taking benzos in the very first trimester can significantly increased risk of major malformations in the baby’s body. Mainly heart defects. It also increases the risk of oral clefts and other malformations. But the data is not a 100% on this one. 

Neonatal Complications: Taking benzos in the third trimester can make you have neonatal withdrawal syndrome and floppy infant syndrome where the baby may have low muscle tone, feeding problems and breathing difficulties. 

Adverse Birth Outcomes: Benzos can cause premature birth which may lead to an underweight baby.

Withdrawal Symptoms in Newborns: If you take a lot of benzos during pregnancy then your baby might have withdrawal effects like irritability and tremors after birth 

Lactation problems: Breast milk often carries a bit of benzo in it . Although the level of benzos in the mother’s breast milk will be relatively low, a breastfeeding infant can still ingest significant amounts of the drug.

Other Risks: A recent study done by the Yale University School of Medicine shows that mothers using benzos during pregnancy are 2.5 times more likely to have a C-section operation for the delivery of the baby.

Are Benzodiazepines Ever Safe in Pregnancy?

It is not a straightforward answer but Benzos are generally avoided as much as possible during pregnancy due to the kind of risks they pose. But in some severe cases the doctor may prescribe them. When the mother’s mental health condition is severe and alternative treatments are ineffective. But doctors only suggest them when the benefits outweigh the risks as untreated anxiety or panic disorders can also negatively impact the pregnancy. If you have been taking benzos before getting pregnant then don’t stop all of a sudden. Instead ask your doctor what to do. 

What benzodiazepines are safe during pregnancy?

When it comes to safe benzodiazepines in pregnancy, no benzo is totally safe to take as they all cross the placenta lining and carry several different risks. When you ask “What is the safest benzodiazepine during pregnancy?” there isn’t one particular safest option. But when necessary short-acting benzos like lorazepam are preferred because in comparison to all the other medicines, lorazepam has the lowest risk of accumulating in the fetus. Avoid the long-acting ones strictly.

Safer Alternatives To Consider

Doesn’t matter if you are pregnant or not, non-drug treatments should always be the first option when dealing with anxiety or stress or even panic disorders. Medications like Benzo can stay in your body for a long time so understanding how long Benzo can last in your system is also important as its lingering effects may add to potential risks. Some most common options healthcare providers try:

• Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) help reduce anxiety disorders in many people
• Lifestyle Changes like a good sleep routine with mild physical exercise accompanied by a healthy balanced diet can work magic and make your life a hundred times better
• Relaxation Techniques like meditation and deep breathing exercises are something many people try and they actually might help.

Final Thoughts

Eating Benzodiazepines during pregnancy fall into a gray area. They are not a 100% safe. They are not totally forbidden either. Every pregnancy is different and a qualified professional who understands your medical history should make the final call. If you were previously addicted to benzos and want to quit after learning bout your pregnancy then you should try some benzodiazepine addiction treatment.