Having freak out that I may have harmed baby with steroid cream

[Meadow78]

I went to get prescription filled today for the steroid cream that I use for my eczema and the pharmacist said it's not safe to use in pregnancy.

I came home and looked it up and websites say it can lead to growth abnormalities and cleft palate.

Now I'm having a freak out. The cream is dermovate which is a 'very potent' steroid. It was actually prescribed to me by GP when I was newly pregnant as she said I couldn't take anti histimines because of the pregnancy and to try the steroid cream instead. So I used it twice a day for about a week when I was 4-5 weeks pregnant. Then I had a flare up at 14 weeks so used it again twice a day for about five days.

Am freaking out now though. Have 20 week scan on two weeks time and worried they will tell me I have damaged our baby.

Anyone else use steroid cream in pregnancy. Did it all turn out okay? Am wondering if I should get private scan this week to put my mind at rest but can't afford it anyway.

Please calm me down.

You will have absorbed a very little steroid through your skin. The chances of this affecting the baby are incredibly small.

Remember that some pregnant women need to take steroid tablets to control asthma/arthritis etc, which will be a much higher dose.

Please be reassured. If, in the very rare occasion that something is wrong as we all worry about the 20 week scan, I really don't think that it would be ANYTHING to do with steroid cream for a fortnight.

Let us know how it goes.

Steroids are sometimes used in pregnancy - e.g. for people with severe asthma. Try not to worry - odds are your baby is fine, but stress isn't good for either of you.

FWIW GPs, MWs and HVs tend to have quite poor pharmacology knowledge. I would always always always check the patient leaflet and online before taking anything. And/or ask the pharmacist - their pharmacology knowledge is usually a lot better!

Antihistamines can be used in pregnancy if you really need them. There's debate over which is safest, but none are known to cause issues at the kind of dose that gets used.

Thank you. I have calmed down this morning by telling myself some people won't know they are pregnant by week 5/6 so will have carried on using drugs/medicines/drinking and I knew from day period was due so a week of steroid cream probably ok. Am just worried re scan I guess. Oh well, just the beginning of a lifetime of worry!
Thank you again for your kind reassurances.

I used steroid cream through both my pregnancies - I didn't realise until after both dds were born that I shouldn't have been. My eczema got worse when I was pregnant - but I was only using 0.5% as that is what I had in the house - but used it pretty much throughout to keep flare ups at bay.

Dds are now 1 and 3 and absolutely fine.

Just wanted to give you some reassurance.

as all have said, dont worry, really.

IF you are concerned still, call the hosp where you're having yr scan and ask if you can have it brought forward. My hosp have done things like that for me - thats what they're there for.

x

Pharmasist is going by the general advice on the leaflet, they tend to be very conservative - and would do so because they need to know that the doctor was aware you were pregnant (in case you had lied - people do after all).

The doctor was aware of your pregnancy, and had in fact switched you from a riskier treatment (the antihistamine would be absorbed through your entire body and accross the placenta), to a much less risky option (a locally applied steroid). Steroids applied this way do not absorb into the body to any significant degree. Some conditions require that a woman takes large doses of steroids orally while pregnant - this is a very different situation to yours, using topical cream.

Talk to the prescribing doctor again, and make sure you are happy with the benefit/risk profile you are given. What would happen if your condition were not treated for a few weeks? Would it flare up and cause problems (it may cause a more general immune response and that may not be good for the pregnancy), your doctor knowing your history may be able to advise you on the saftey of just not treating at all for a few weeks if you are not happy to use the cream - but maybe best to discuss this before just stopping?

I was given some much stronger steroid cream whil pregnant, by a consultant dermatologist on the advice of my obstetrician. (It didn't work, but that's another story...) I wouldn't worry - but don't eat it (obviously!).

I think if you are not smothering it all over your body for prolongued periods you'll be ok. I used mine (also a 'potent' one) for a couple of days on my face when my excema flared up awfully, and all still looks ok. (I am now nearly 38 wks and had a scan only a couple of weeks ago so have seen her plenty!)

More reassurance here. I used steroid cream throughout both pregnancies; it never occurred to me that there might be any reason not to. Both my DCs are fine.

FWIW, I once interviewed a consultant dermatologist about steroid creams and their use on babies. He said that there's a lot of fuss about steroids, but that it's very, very hard to do any damage with them in practice.

Try not to worry (difficult I know)I've been using both my steroid cream and Benadryl (albeit sparingly) throughout my pregnancy on the advice of my GP as I have horrendous allergies and baby looked very happy and well at 20 week scan and is super mobile now 9 weeks later.

i stopped using mine cus i noticed it said in huge letters 'do not use in pregnancy' i couldnt get a dr appointment for 2 weeks by which time my skin became infected and she then had to perscribe a much stronger cream to clear it up - she said thats general advice so people only use it if they really need to and she was more than happy for me to continue using it throught!