Q&A: Is Cortaid safe during pregnancy?

by Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo

I'm currently a little over 12 weeks pregnant. For the first 10 weeks of my pregnancy I was using Cortaid (1%) topically on my face and neck because of severe itchiness. It never occurred to me that this could be dangerous until I was cruising around the Internet. I immediately stopped. My dermatologist said that there is no possible way this could have harmed my baby, but what I've read on the Internet is alarming. I am looking for a professional opinion/assessment of my situation.

I tend to agree with your Dermatologist. This stuff is designed to not be absorbed to any measurable extent. If you're really worried, ask your OB for an ultrasound, but that would be overkill if it were just for the Cortaid exposure. Also, beware of what you read on the Internet--there are a lot of persons out there with biased views, especially when it comes to pharmaceuticals.

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