Oxazepam

Last Update: 08 Jan 2026

Medication

Table of content

1. What Is It? 2. Risks 3. Benefits 4. Lactating 5. Key Takeaways 6. Research limits

Welcome to our Fact Sheet on Oxazepam during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The information given is based on current research and may be updated with new scientific knowledge. This information does not replace personalized advice from healthcare professionals.

1. What is Oxazepam?

Oxazepam is a medication from the benzodiazepine family. It’s used to reduce anxiety and ease symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Like other benzodiazepines, oxazepam is usually prescribed only when the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. Your healthcare provider may recommend extra monitoring for you and your baby.

Benzodiazepines, like oxazepam, act on the central nervous system by enhancing the effect of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that inhibits excessive brain activity. By binding to specific sites on the GABA-A receptors, these medications promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and can help alleviate symptoms such as tension, agitation, or difficulty sleeping.

If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, including oxazepam. Stopping suddenly can be unsafe. Together, you and your healthcare provider can decide on the best and safest plan for your health and your baby’s well-being.

2. What Are the Risks of Oxazepam During Pregnancy?

There’s no perfectly risk-free option when it comes to medication during pregnancy. Babies exposed to oxazepam near birth may need to be kept under observation for a short time after delivery. This is because they can have temporary and mild withdrawal symptoms if they are exposed to benzodiazepines like oxazepam during pregnancy. Not every baby exposed will have these symptoms. Your healthcare team can help you weigh the benefits of treatment against the possible risks for you and your baby.

So far, no clear link has been proven between oxazepam and specific birth defects or long-term problems, but research is very limited. Most information comes from animal studies and very few small human studies. More research is needed to understand the risks in pregnancy.

Understanding risks during pregnancy

Every pregnancy starts with some risks. Problems like miscarriage (loss of the baby), birth defects (malformations present at birth), or premature birth (before 37 weeks) can happen in any pregnancy for many reasons. This is called the background risk. When studying medications like oxazepam, researchers compare any added risk to this background risk.

There are information on the risks of benzodiazepines as a group during pregnancy. Some studies have found potential increased risks of miscarriage, preterm birth, and temporary withdrawal symptoms for the baby at birth. However, we know less about the risks on oxazepam specifically.

Based on animal research and how the medication works, oxazepam might slightly increase certain risks, but current evidence in humans is too limited to be sure.

So far, human studies on oxazepam show:

One study found a small possible increase in cleft lip (with or without cleft palate).
Another reported a slightly higher chance of early pregnancy loss, though this finding has not been confirmed.
There are no clear studies on premature birth or small size for gestational age.
There is no research on how oxazepam might affect a child’s learning or behaviour later in life.

Table 1 summarises what studies have found so far. But one study alone is not enough to confirm a risk. Many other factors like age, genetics, lifestyle, and health conditions can also play a role.

Table 1. Possible risks associated with oxazepam during pregnancy.

Who?	What?	What does research say?
Pregnant person	Fertility	Not enough research to know if there’s an impact.
Pregnant person	Miscarriages	Studies from other benzodiazepines have found an increased risk. One study specifically on oxazepam found a slightly higher risk of early pregnancy loss, but more research is needed to confirm this risk.
Unborn child	Congenital Malformations	One study showed a small possible increased risk of cleft lip (with or without cleft palate). More research needed to confirm this risk.
	Growth	Limited data have mentioned possible growth restriction, but evidence is unclear. No studies have looked at the risk of having a smaller baby for gestational age.
	Premature Birth	No research has been done yet on this outcome.
	Withdrawal symptoms	Some newborns exposed to oxazepam shortly before birth may show mild and temporary withdrawal symptoms like unusual sleepiness, trouble feeding, weak muscle tone (floppiness), breathing difficulties, and irritability or tremors. Not all babies will have these symptoms.
Child later in life	Brain development	No research has been done yet.
Fathers and sperm donors	Male’s fertility	No research has been done yet.

3. Asides from the Risks, What Are the Benefits of Oxazepam?

While oxazepam may carry possible risks during pregnancy, it can also offer benefits for the parent and the baby. The benefits depend on each person’s health situation and needs. For example, managing anxiety during pregnancy is important for both mental and physical health. When anxiety is unmanaged or undermanaged, it has been linked to an increased risk of low birth weight, premature birth, and behavioural difficulties in children.

Because of its possible risks, oxazepam is usually avoided or used only for a short time, until another effective treatment can be started. Here are some possible benefits:

Anxiety relief: Can help reduce severe anxiety, improve well-being and lower stress..
Support during alcohol withdrawal: Can ease symptoms such as tremors, restlessness, and anxiety caused by alcohol withdrawal.
Better sleep: By reducing anxiety, oxazepam may indirectly help improve sleep quality, important for a healthy pregnancy.

In brief, in some cases, oxazepam can help stabilize mental health and support overall well-being during pregnancy. Always talk to your healthcare provider to weigh the potential benefits and risks based on your personal situation.

4. Will I Be Able to Breastfeed?

Oxazepam passes in breast milk in small amount. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers oxazepam compatible with breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, but recommends short-term use only.

If you need to take oxazepam and want to nurse, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider. Oxazepam passes into breast milk.

Some babies may have mild and temporary side effects such as feeding problems, unusual sleepiness, slow breathing, or poor weight gain. If you notice any of these, contact your healthcare provider.

For the best care, discuss your situation, questions, and concerns with your healthcare provider. Together, you can weigh the benefits of breastfeeding and treatment and decide on the safest plan for your health and your baby’s well-being.

Key Takeaways

Oxazepam is a medicine from the family of the benzodiazepines. It can be prescribed to help manage anxiety and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Research is very limited. Some studies have found a possible increased risk of birth defects and miscarriage, but these findings are not confirmed.
Taking oxazepam near birth can lead to temporary symptoms in the newborns.
Oxazepam is usually only prescribed for short period of time when the benefits outweigh the risks for the pregnant or lactating person.
Oxazepam passes into breast milk, babies should be monitored for side effects if the parent is breastfeeding.
Always discuss with your healthcare team before starting, changing or stopping oxazepam during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

6. Research Is Great, But It Is Not Perfect

Making informed health decisions during pregnancy also means understanding what research tells us and what it doesn’t. Here are some limits in research on oxazepam during pregnancy:

Very few human studies: Most of what we know comes from animal research or small human studies, making it hard to know for sure how oxazepam affects pregnancy.
No direct testing in pregnant people: For ethical reasons, medications are not tested directly in pregnant people. Instead, researchers observe what happens when people take oxazepam during their pregnancy. This makes it harder to know what causes what.
Mixed results: Some studies show a small increase in certain risks, while others do not.
Not enough long-term research: We don’t yet know how oxazepam might affect a child’s learning, behaviour, or development as they grow.
Other health factors: People taking oxazepam may also have other medical conditions or take other medications, which can make results harder to interpret.

Overall, these gaps show that more research is needed to fully understand how safe oxazepam is during pregnancy.

Other resources

Mental health and wellness – Canada.ca

Canadian Mental Health Association – National l A Mental Health Charity

Homepage – Mental Health Commission of Canada

References

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Oxazepam (Lexi-Drugs). Reproducion, Pregnancy & Lactation; 2025 [cited September 2025]. Available from https://online.lexi.com/. Subscription required to view.
Briggs, G.G., Freeman, R. K., Towers, C. V., & Forinash, A. B., Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation (12th ed.). Wolters Kluwer Health. [cited September 2025]. Available from https://wolterskluwer.vitalsource.com/books/9781975162405.
Källén B, Borg N, Reis M. The use of central nervous system active drugs during pregnancy. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2013 Oct 10;6(10):1221-86. doi: 10.3390/ph6101221. PMID: 24275849; PMCID: PMC3817603.
Cornel MC, Erickson JD, Khoury MJ, James LM, Liu Y. Population-based birth-defect and risk-factor surveillance: data from the Northern Netherlands. Int J Risk Saf Med. 1996;8(3):197-209. doi: 10.3233/JRS-1996-8302. PMID: 23511978.
Bonnot O, Vollset SE, Godet PF, D’Amato T, Robert E. Maternal exposure to lorazepam and anal atresia in newborns: results from a hypothesis-generating study of benzodiazepines and malformations. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2001 Aug;21(4):456-8. doi: 10.1097/00004714-200108000-00017. PMID: 11476134.
Sheehy O, Zhao JP, Bérard A. Association Between Incident Exposure to Benzodiazepines in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Spontaneous Abortion. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Sep 1;76(9):948-957. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0963. PMID: 31090881; PMCID: PMC6537838.

Note : All pooled results for the assessed outcomes were estimated by metaPreg (www.metapreg.org).

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