Safety of anxiety and sleep medicines during pregnancy
Safety of Benzodiazepines and Non-Benzodiazepine Sedative Hypnotics in Pregnancy
This project looks at whether benzodiazepines and similar sleep or anxiety medicines are safe for pregnant people and their babies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320848 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are pregnant and take medicines for anxiety or insomnia called benzodiazepines or non-benzodiazepine sedatives, the team will use medical records and prescription data to compare outcomes in pregnancies with and without these medicines. They will look at timing of exposure (including the first trimester), co-prescribed psychiatric drugs, and newborn outcomes like growth, birth problems, and early development. The research uses large health databases and links mothers' medication information to birth and pediatric records while accounting for other health and medication factors. Findings aim to give clearer, evidence-based information to help treatment decisions in pregnancy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people who are taking or considering benzodiazepines or non-benzodiazepine sleep/anxiety medicines, especially those seen at participating prenatal clinics or enrolled in pregnancy registries.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant or who do not use these classes of medications are unlikely to benefit directly from participating in this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give clearer safety information to help pregnant people and their doctors decide whether to continue, change, or stop these medications.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have been limited and produced mixed results, so this larger, more detailed analysis is meant to clarify conflicting findings rather than testing an entirely new treatment.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huybrechts, Krista F — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Huybrechts, Krista F
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.