Study Examines if Prenatal Exposure to Sedatives Is Linked to Psych Disorders

Prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics was not associated with an increased risk of psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders in children in a South Korean cohort study.An initial link was observed, but it disappeared in a sibling-controlled analysis, suggesting that familial or environmental factors -- rather than medication -- was driving the association.While the findings offer reassurance, the researchers cautioned that this study does not rule out other pregnancy risks, such as miscarriages or congenital malformations. Prenatal exposure to sedative drugs used for anxiety and insomnia was not associated with an increased risk of psychiatric or neurodevelopmental conditions in children when accounting for familial factors, a large population-based cohort study from South Korea indicated. An analysis of 3.8 million children initially suggested that prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics was tied to a higher risk of psychiatric disorders compared with no exposure over a median 6.85-year follow-up, but this association disappeared in a sibling-controlled analysis (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94-1.04). This suggested that familial or environmental factors -- rather than the medication itself -- likely drove the initial findings, noted Ju-Young Shin, PhD, of Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, and colleagues. Furthermore, there were no increased risks for 12 individual disorders, the