Ambien During Pregnancy

No clinical studies have been conducted on the effects of taking Ambien during pregnancy in humans. However, in studies that evaluated Ambien in pregnant animals, the medicine did not appear to show any negative long-term effects on the fetus. Ambien should only be given to a pregnant woman if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.

 

Ambien During Pregnancy: An Overview

Ambien® (zolpidem tartrate) is considered a pregnancy Category B medicine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means that the medicine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, when studied in pregnant animals, Ambien showed no negative long-term effects on unborn babies.
 
There have been reported cases of newborns developing Ambien withdrawal symptoms when their mother took Ambien late in pregnancy. These symptoms typically improved after several days and usually did not require any treatment. There have also been cases of sedation of the unborn baby when Ambien is used during the last weeks of pregnancy.
 

Ambien and Pregnancy Category B

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do not cause side effects to the fetus in animal studies.
 
However, it is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do. Therefore, a pregnancy Category B medicine may be given to a pregnant woman if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;