Use of corticosteroids in early pregnancy is not associated with risk of oral clefts and other congenital malformations in offspring

Am J Ther. 2014 Mar-Apr;21(2):73-80. doi: 10.1097/MJT.0b013e3182491e02.

Abstract

Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat inflammatory diseases. There is conflicting evidence regarding the association of corticosteroid use in pregnancy and congenital malformations in offspring. We conducted a prevalence study of 83,043 primiparous women who gave birth to a live-born singleton in northern Denmark, in 1999-2009. Through medical registries, we identified prescriptions for corticosteroids, congenital malformations, and covariates. Furthermore, we summarized the literature on this topic. Overall, 1449 women (1.7%) used inhaled or oral corticosteroids from 30 days before conception throughout the first trimester. Oral cleft in the offspring was recorded for 1 of the users (0.08%) and 145 of the nonusers (0.2%), prevalence odds ratio (OR) 0.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.07-3.34]. The prevalence OR for congenital malformations overall was 1.02 (95% CI, 0.79-1.32). According to published studies, the use of corticosteroids in early pregnancy was associated with congenital malformations overall with relative estimates ranging from 0.8 (95% CI, 0.4-1.7) to 2.1 (95% CI, 0.5-9.6). For oral clefts, the ORs ranged from 0.6 (95% CI, 0.2-1.7) to 5.2 (95% CI, 1.5-17.1). We found no evidence of an association between use of corticosteroids in early pregnancy and risk of congenital malformations in offspring.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / epidemiology*
  • Cleft Lip / epidemiology*
  • Cleft Palate / epidemiology*
  • Denmark / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Glucocorticoids / administration & dosage*
  • Glucocorticoids / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Trimester, First
  • Prevalence
  • Registries
  • Risk

Substances

  • Glucocorticoids