This table shows all Adverse Drug Reactions reported to the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System between 2004 and the 2nd Quarter of 2008 where the listed psychiatric drug was identified as the Primary Suspect Drug (FDA's term) deemed responsible for causing or inducing these reactions and where one or more of the Adverse Reactions reported for the Case described a congenital, prenatal or neonatal condition. Where no Age, Date of Event or Indication (the condition being treated) are shown, none were present in the FDA records.

Reported By: CN-Consumer, LW-Lawyer, MD-Physician, OT-Other Healthcare Provider, PH-Pharmacist, Blank-Not Reported in ISR (Individual Safety Report).

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a poison as "a substance that causes death or harm when introduced into or absorbed by a living organism."  This psychiatric drug fits that definition.

Cercine (diazepam), Diastat (diazepam), Diazem (diazepam), Diazepam (diazepam), Valium (diazepam)

Abdominal Pain, Abdominal Pain Upper, Abnormal Behaviour, Abortion Induced, Abortion Spontaneous, Accident, Activities of Daily Living Impaired, Aggression, Amnesia, Anaemia Neonatal, Anal Atresia, Aortic Stenosis, Apgar Score Low, Apnoea, Arrhythmia Neonatal, Arthralgia, Astigmatism, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Benign Lymph Node Neoplasm, Bone Disorder, Bradycardia, Bradycardia Neonatal, Breech Presentation, Caesarean Section, Cauda Equina Syndrome, Cerebral Haemorrhage Neonatal, Chest Pain, Coarctation of the Aorta, Coma, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Complication of Delivery, Complications of Maternal Exposure To Therapeutic Drugs, Condition Aggravated, Congenital Anomaly, Congenital Choroid Plexus Cyst, Congenital Hydrocephalus, Congenital Nose Malformation, Congenital Nystagmus, Constipation, Cyanosis, Decreased Activity, Dependence, Developmental Delay, Disorientation, Drug Abuser, Drug Dependence, Drug Detoxification, Drug Exposure Before Pregnancy, Drug Exposure During Pregnancy, Drug Interaction, Drug Toxicity, Drug Withdrawal Syndrome, Drug Withdrawal Syndrome Neonatal, Dysphagia, Dyspnoea, Ear Malformation, Encephalocele, Eye Rolling, Factitious Disorder, Feeding Disorder Neonatal, Feeding Problem In Newborn, Feeling Jittery, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, Foetal Cardiac Disorder, Foetal Disorder, Foetal Distress Syndrome, Foetal Growth Retardation, Foetal Heart Rate Decreased, Gallbladder Perforation, Gastroschisis, Gliosis, Growth Retardation, Heart Disease Congenital, Heart Rate Decreased, Hepatitis Toxic, Hypermetropia, Hypersomnia, Hypertonia Neonatal, Hyperventilation, Hypoglycaemia, Hypospadias, Hypotonia, Hypotonia Neonatal, Hypoventilation, Iatrogenic Injury, Incorrect Dose Administered, Infant, Inguinal Hernia, Intelligence Test Abnormal, Intra-Uterine Death, Irritability, Learning Disability, Learning Disorder, Legal Problem, Lethargy, Limb Hypoplasia Congenital, Limb Reduction Defect, Lip Disorder, Loss of Consciousness, Lymphadenopathy, Malaise, Maternal Drugs Affecting Foetus, Meconium Increased, Microcephaly, Microgenia, Microphthalmos, Moaning, Multiple Drug Overdose Intentional, Myopia, Neonatal Apnoeic Attack, Neonatal Asphyxia, Neonatal Aspiration, Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus, Neonatal Disorder, Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Neonatal Tachypnoea, Nystagmus, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, Pain, Pallor, Peritonitis, Periventricular Leukomalacia, Placental Disorder, Polyhydramnios, Poor Sucking Reflex, Posture Abnormal, Premature Baby, Premature Labour, Premature Rupture of Membranes, Procedural Pain, Psychomotor Skills Impaired, Pupillary Reflex Impaired, Refraction Disorder, Renal Tubular Disorder, Respiratory Disorder Neonatal, Respiratory Distress, Respiratory Failure, Respiratory Rate Decreased, Retinal Detachment, Retinopathy of Prematurity, Skin Atrophy, Skull Malformation, Social Avoidant Behaviour, Somnolence, Somnolence Neonatal, Stereotypic Movement Disorder, Strabismus, Substance Abuse, Suicide Attempt, Talipes, Toothache, Ultrasound Antenatal Screen Abnormal, Urinary Retention, Ventricular Septal Defect, Vision Abnormal Neonatal, Visual Acuity Reduced, Visual Disturbance, Vomiting, Wrong Drug Administered

Diazepam Adverse Reaction Definitions
Abortion Spontaneous	Miscarriage means loss of an embryo or fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The medical term for miscarriage is spontaneous abortion.
Apgar Score Low	A system of assessing the general physical condition of a newborn infant based on a rating of 0, 1, or 2 for five criteria: heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, skin color, and response to stimuli. The five scores are added together, with a perfect score being 10. The persistence of low Apgar scores at 20 minutes of age is predictive of high rates of morbidity (disease) and mortality (death). (Virginia Apgar (1909–1974), American physician)
Arrhythmia	An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart's rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.
Cauda Equina Syndrome	A serious neurologic condition in which there is acute loss of function of the neurologic elements (nerve roots) of the spinal canal below the termination of the spinal cord.
Coarctation of the Aorta	A defect that develops in the fetus in which there is a narrowing of the aortic arch, the main blood artery that delivers blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the rest of the body.
Congenital	A physical abnormality that is present at birth.
Congenital Anomaly	Medical term for a birth defect which is a physical abnormality that is present at birth; they are also called congenital abnormalities. When multiple birth defects occur together and have a similar cause, they are called syndromes (e.g. Cauda Equina Syndrome, Drug Withdrawal Syndrome Neonatal).
Congenital Nystagmus	Rhythmic, oscillating motions of the eyes are called nystagmus. The to-and-fro motion is generally involuntary. Vertical nystagmus occurs much less frequently than horizontal nystagmus and is often, but not necessarily, a sign of serious brain damage. Nystagmus can be a normal physiological response or a result of a pathologic problem.
Drug Withdrawal Syndrome Neonatal	Refers to the characteristic signs and symptoms that appear when a drug that causes physical dependence is regularly used for a long time and then suddenly discontinued or decreased in dosage. Also known as abstinence syndrome. A group of unpleasant symptoms produced by the abrupt termination of drug taking. These symptoms, commonly called withdrawal symptoms, include anxiety, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, tremor, and a rapid heart beat. [Image]
Dysphagia	Difficulty in swallowing.
Dyspnoea	Difficulty in breathing, often associated with lung or heart disease and resulting in shortness of breath. Also called air hunger.
Encephalocele	Hernia (bulge or protrusion) of the brain through a congenital or traumatic opening in the cranium.
Gastroschisis	A congenital fissure (split or crack) in the abdominal wall usually accompanied by protrusion of the viscera (intestines). Also called celoschisis.
Hypermetropia	An abnormal condition of the eye in which vision is better for distant objects than for near objects. It results from the eyeball being too short from front to back, causing images to be focused behind the retina.
Hypoplasia	The incomplete or arrested development of an organ or part (Limb Hypoplasia, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia).
Hypospadias	In males, a congenital anomaly in which the urethra (the canal through which urine is discharged from the bladder) opens on the ventral (lower) surface of the penis or in the perineum (area between scrotum and anus), or in females, the urethra opens into the vagina.
Hypotonia	Decease of normal tonicity (normal firmness or functional readiness in body tissues or organs) or tension.
Microcephaly	Abnormal smallness of the head.
Myopia	A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness. Also called short sight.
Neonatal Asphyxia	A condition in which an extreme decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the body accompanied by an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide leads to loss of consciousness or death.
Nystagmus	Rhythmic, oscillating motions of the eyes are called nystagmus. The to-and-fro motion is generally involuntary. Vertical nystagmus occurs much less frequently than horizontal nystagmus and is often, but not necessarily, a sign of serious brain damage. Nystagmus can be a normal physiological response or a result of a pathologic problem.
Periventricular Leukomalacia	A brain condition affecting fetuses and newborns in which there is softening, dysfunction, and death of the white matter of the brain.
Premature Baby	Birth less than 37 weeks after conception. Infants born as early as 23 – 24 weeks may survive but many face lifelong disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness). Premature infants account for 8 – 9% of live births but two-thirds of infant deaths.
Optic Nerve Hypoplasia	During the second month of pregnancy, a structure called the optic stalk develops into a pair of optic nerve bundles. These bundles, which are designed to send signals from the eyes to the occipital lobe of the brain, naturally undergo pruning as the fetus develops. In some individuals, however, either this pruning process is too complete, or the nerves simply fail to develop fully. Such an occurrence causes a congenital condition called optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH).
Strabismus	Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes do not point in the same direction. It can also be referred to as a tropia or squint.
Talipes	Clubfoot is a condition in which one or both feet are twisted into an abnormal position at birth. The condition is also known as talipes.
Ventricular Septal Defect	A ventricular septal defect is a hole in the wall of the heart (septum) that separates the left lower chamber (left ventricle) from the right lower chamber (right ventricle). The hole allows blood to flow from the left ventricle to the right ventricle instead of entering the aorta for distribution throughout the body. This blood recycles through the lungs before returning to the left ventricle. This results in less oxygenated blood reaching the body. If the hole is sufficiently large, the lack of oxygen being delivered to the body can cause severe problems, including heart failure and breathlessness.

MedWatch is the Food and Drug Administration's program for reporting any undesirable experience associated with the use of a medical product. If you think you or someone in your family has experienced an adverse reaction from taking Diazepam and it has not been reported to the FDA, see this page for instructions on reporting the adverse event through your doctor or directly to the FDA using an online form.

A May 2006 USA Today article states that "drug companies are required to file any reports they have to the FDA, but consumers and doctors report such events on a voluntary basis. Studies suggest the FDA's Adverse Events Reporting System database captures only 1% to 10% of drug-induced side effects and deaths, "maybe even less than 1%," says clinical pharmacologist Alastair J.J. Wood, an associate dean at Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville. So the real number of cases is almost certainly much higher".