I was told expectant mothers can take steroids— but only on prescription— for numerous pre-existing health conditions and for foetal development. How true is this?
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I was told expectant mothers can take steroids— but only on prescription— for numerous pre-existing health conditions and for foetal development. How true is this?
In early pregnancy, steroids are usually given for treating recurring miscarriages in women or foetal abnormalities. Doctors often prescribe steroid drugs known as corticosteroids for preterm labour. Babies born before the full term are often at risk of respiratory distress and death due to underdeveloped lungs. Steroids also lower the risk of brain hemorrhage. The intestines of a preterm newborn are underdeveloped and weak. Therefore, steroids help in protecting the baby from intestinal infections and bowel issues. The use of steroids helps the development of the lungs of preterm babies and increases their chances of survival.
Steroids during pregnancy may sound scary but they are absolutely safe so far they are used as prescribed by the doctor. Expecting mothers can take prescribed steroids for numerous pre-existing health conditions like asthma, lupus, and skin problems. They are mostly prescribed by a doctor when she feels that the pregnant woman may go into a preterm labour. The use of steroids in such a case helps in the maturity of the baby’s lungs, brain and intestine. The steroids are mostly used for lung maturity of the baby.