Cutivate Ointment and Pregnancy

A woman may use Cutivate Ointment (fluticasone propionate ointment) during pregnancy if her healthcare provider believes that the benefits outweigh the risks. However, the medicine should be used on the smallest area of the body possible for the shortest amount of time. Steroids can cause problems during pregnancy; since Cutivate Ointment is applied to the skin, however, the risk is expected to be low.

Can Pregnant Women Use Cutivate Ointment?

Cutivate Ointment^® (fluticasone propionate ointment) is a prescription topical steroid approved for treating a variety of different skin conditions in adults. At this time, it is unclear if the drug is safe for use during pregnancy. Steroids like Cutivate Ointment should be used only if necessary, at the lowest effective dose, and for the shortest possible time necessary during pregnancy.

What Is Pregnancy Category C?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.

In addition, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals are automatically given a pregnancy Category C rating.

Animal studies have shown that steroids, including Cutivate Ointment, may increase the risk of birth defects (such as cleft palate) and may cause other problems, such as poor fetal growth or decreased survival. Similar problems might also occur in humans, although the risk is probably smaller with topical steroids that are applied to the skin, like Cutivate Ointment.

While short-term use (a few days) of Cutivate Ointment applied to a small area of the body is not likely to cause problems (although this is not known for sure), extended use or use over a large area of the body should generally be avoided during pregnancy if possible.

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