Ivcort Use In Pregnancy & Lactation

Pregnancy: The ability of corticosteroids to cross the placenta varies between individual drugs, however, Hydrocortisone readily crosses the placenta. Administration of corticosteroids to pregnant animals can cause abnormalities of foetal development including cleft palate, intrauterine growth retardation and affects on brain growth and development. When administered for long periods or repeatedly during pregnancy, corticosteroids may increase the risk of intra-uterine growth retardation. As with all drugs, corticosteroids should only be prescribed when the benefits to the mother and child outweigh the risks.
Some corticosteroids readily cross the placenta. Some retrospective studies have found an increased incidence of low-birth weights in infants born of mothers receiving corticosteroids.
Cataracts have been observed in infants born to mothers treated with long-term corticosteroids during pregnancy.
Lactation: Corticosteroids are excreted in breast milk, although no data are available for Hydrocortisone. This medicinal product should be used during breast feeding only after a careful assessment of the benefit-risk ratio to the mother and infant.
Fertility: Corticosteroids have been shown to impair fertility in animal studies. Adverse effects on fertility in rats with corticosteroids were observed in males only and were reversible. The clinical relevance of this information is uncertain.