EXPLORE THE IMPACTS
Prenatal Exposure to Benzodiazepines
Prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines can significantly impact brain development, affecting memory, sleep, emotional regulation, and physiological functions like digestion and blood pressure. These challenges often show up as difficulties with short-term memory, processing information, and responding to everyday expectations, which can be misunderstood as oppositional behavior. Understanding this context is essential for caregivers and professionals, as patience, supportive routines, and individualized strategies can help the person feel safe, process information effectively, and build skills in a respectful, shame-free environment.
Brain
The benzodiazepines disrupt short & longer term memory, ability to sleep, ability to track time &** **regulate appetite, digestion, blood pressure & emotions.
Body
Benzodiazepines also interrupt sleep stages starting with the deepest sleep stage, which provides the rest needed for short term memory to move into long term memory. This is a contributing factor to the inability to remember what was done while on benzodiazepines.
Behavioral Patterns
The person who has been prenatally exposed may have an inability to remember what has just happened, also known as limits to short-term memory. Missing memory or time like this can often be masked by oppositional behavior. Please recognize the oppositional actions as a sign that they are struggling to remember something that they may have no memory of. With the short term, long term, & working memory disrupted, they will need more time to process information.
When we are “frozen” in thought, we are on the fear cascade between fight and freeze. This means our fear center has a freeze in a threatening position to keep us as safe as possible while trying to process information. This is not an excuse. It is a context. Understanding this context can help us remember to give people time, and let them know they have all the time they need, instead of correcting their “attitude. Being patient and kind will get much further and actually support their brain to have the best chance possible to retrieve the information you seek. If the information cannot be retrieved (which is highly likely), it will hopefully help them feel safe enough to let you know that.
Supports
SUPPORT WITHOUT SHAME. INDIVIDUALIZED SCHEDULE AND REMINDER SYSTEMS. A child or youth who has been exposed to benzodiazepines prenatally will need reminders without shaming when doing tasks around the home or at work.
Dream journal- support them in writing about what they want to dream about before they sleep and if they have a nightmare help them rewrite the ending of their dreams with a more positive outcome. Reflect, honor, connect. when communicating with the youth.
Work with the person to find respectful and dignified ways to create visual schedules and other reminders.
When using the 3Ps, make them visual, so the person can have it to use while practicing with you and in the actual situation.