Most steroid skin creams likely safe during pregnancy

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Expectant mothers can use corticosteroid creams for irritated skin without putting their fetus at risk, except for large amounts of very strong creams, a new study suggests. In general, using those ointments during pregnancy was not linked to babies’ chances of having cleft palate, being born early or small or any other measured negative outcome, researchers found. That’s not surprising and is in line with previous research, lead author Dr. Ching-Chi Chi of the dermatology department of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Chiayi, Taiwan, said. …