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Took Ativan During Pregnancy. Child Is Having Developmental Delay. Genetic Test Results Normal. Worrisome

Posted on Tue, 7 May 2013

Question: Hello just wondering if XXXXXXX taken Ativan for 2 weeks during my pregnancy ( around 20-22 weeks) could explain why my son has developmental global delay, especially language and motor delay, he's been tested genetically for a bunch of stuff everything is normal so far, was this bad advise from my ob-gyn? if so what do i do? my son is 23 months old and doesn't talk, he just started picking himself up from sitting position and has had great delays for all is milestones.
Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (32 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing to health care magic.

There could be several causes for developmental delay.

What is the age of your son now?

What developmental mile stones were achieved by him?

Did he cry immediately after birth?

Was he in NICU (neonatal intensive care) at birth for any reason?

Did he have any complications after birth like seizures or sepsis or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)?

Some studies related benzodiazepine usage with developmental delay in new born but the studies are inconclusive because some of the mothers who were on those medications during pregnancy had other problems also.

Please reply in detail.
Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (11 minutes later)

he is 23 months, didn't cry hard at birth, almost too quiet but apgar was great, had trouble regulating his body temperature and heart beat was a little low, (1 night in incubator). Very poor feeding since birth, kept his startle reflex until 14 months and reached his milestones 6-8 late generally speaking, still confuses Mama(call daddy mama, but not me) says one clear word sometimes so 10 months delayed for language and speaking, and he is very clumsy when walking and moving around, balance not so good, just started crawling at 22 months but was starting to walk at 18 months independantly. Just now learning to chew food and was on purees until just recently. Hope this helps!!

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (6 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Some of those problems he had at birth could be responsible for his developmental delay.

It is some times difficult to point out the exact cause of developmental delay particularly when all the investigations are normal (including a CT scan, thyroid profile and metabolic disorder screening test etc)

Developmental stimulation and special training may help him to achieve a better quality of life.

Positive attitude is important from your end in a difficult situation like this.

Take care.

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar