Topical corticosteroid use in pregnancy may not increase risk of SGA or low birth weight: JAMA
The prevalence of topical corticosteroid use during pregnancy is reported to be as high as 7%. Data to help evaluate potential fetal harm from topical corticosteroid use in pregnancy are limited and conflicting. In particular, there are current concerns about a potential risk of low birth weight with use of potent to very potent topical corticosteroids in pregnancy, especially when the cumulative dosage throughout pregnancy is large. Thus, the most recent guideline recommends the use of topical corticosteroids with mild to moderate potency (eg,hydrocortisone and hydrocortisone butyrate) in pregnancy,whereas potent to very potent agents (eg, mometasone furoate, betamethasone, and clobetasol) should be used only as second-line therapy and for a short period.
Niklas Worm Andersson and team evaluated the association between topical corticosteroid use and SGA and low birthweight compared with no use in a propensity score–matched analysis on a pregnancy cohort derived from the entire Danish population during the study period 1997-2016.
From a source cohort of 1.1 million pregnancies with individual-level informed data from various registries, this nationwide cohort study identified topical corticosteroid–exposed pregnancies in Denmark from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2016, for a total of 60 497, that were matched with 241 986 unexposed pregnancies on the basis of propensity scores, including a wide set of baseline characteristics. Data analysis was performed from September 8, 2020, to February 23, 2021. Exposure included filled prescriptions for topical corticosteroids during pregnancy.
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