Cortisone

I had a cortisone injection on my shoulder and neck when I was 10 days pregnant is that safe?

[Lisa Kessler, MS, CGC]

It sounds like you have a couple of different concerns about exposures
during your pregnancy including the bitewing x rays and the cortisone
injection. It is important to discuss this exposure with your healthcare
provider to discuss the dose and timing, and to confirm the specific
medications that were in your injection. According to information from
OTIS, prenatal exposure to corticosteroids including cortisone is associated
with minimal risks including intrauterine growth restriction, which is when
the fetus is smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy.
There is also a 3-6 fold increase risk for cleft lip with or without cleft
palate and possibly cleft palate alone with systemic corticosteroid use in
the period surrounding the time of conception. Another way to consider this
risk is to think about the general population prevalence of all oral clefts
which is 1 in 1000 births. So, exposure to corticosteroids at this critical
time increases the risk to approximately 1.3 to 3.3 in 1000 pregnancies.
For more information, you can contact the Organization of Teratology
Specialists (OTIS) at 866-626-6847