Andrade C - As per a recent meta-analysis of 8 prospective cohort studies with 5,195 exposed and 2,082,467 unexposed women, benzodiazepine exposure was not associated with a statistically significant increase in the risk of total malformations or cardiac malformations, however, there appeared a significant increase in risk associated with combined first-trimester exposure to benzodiazepines and antidepressants (3 studies). Based on the conventional P < 0.05 cutoff for statistical significance, these findings were interpreted by the authors of the meta-analysis. However, on examining the confidence intervals (CIs) associated with the pooled odds ratios (ORs), it was apparent that almost the complete range of values in the CIs for total malformations and for cardiac malformations was compatible with a population value for the OR that designated enhanced risk (OR > 1.00). Importantly, a somewhat better distribution of the CI for the first-trimester exposure analysis around the null was evident (OR = 1.00); this suggests a lower likelihood of increased risk. All ORs were very low to low in value; this suggests a very small rise in the absolute risk. Based on this work, the researcher concludes that for cardiac and total malformations, gestational exposure to benzodiazepines is a risk marker, and, importantly, that there may be no association of first-trimester exposure to benzodiazepines with much increase in risk, if at all.