title: A population-based case-control teratologic study of nitrazepam, medazepam, tofisopam, alprazolum and clonazepam treatment during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association between nitrazepam, medazepam, tofisopam, alprazolum and clonazepam treatments during pregnancy and prevalence of different congenital abnormalities (CAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A matched case-control study using cases with CAs and population controls from the dataset of the nationwide Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities (HCCSCA), 1980-1996.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 38,151 pregnant women who had babies without any defects (population control group), 75 (0.20%) were treated with these five benzodiazepines during pregnancy. Of 22,865 pregnant women who delivered offspring with CAs, 57 (0.25%) had benzodiazepine treatment. The occurrence of five benzodiazepine treatments during the second and third months of gestation, i.e. in the critical period for most major CAs did not show significant differences in matched case-control pairs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with five benzodiazepines studied during pregnancy did not present detectable teratogenic risk to the fetus in humans but the amount of information was limited for different CAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics and Teratology, National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eros
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Czeizel
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rockenbauer
authors.forename: Henrik T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: Jorn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D000525:Alprazolam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008472:Medazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009567:Nitrazepam / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D013723:Teratogens; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D002998:Clonazepam; D009567:Nitrazepam; D008472:Medazepam; C012582:tofisopam; D000525:Alprazolam