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ApexiCon E Cream and Pregnancy
Because it is a steroid, ApexiCon E Cream (diflorasone emollient cream) may not be safe for use during pregnancy. When given to animals, steroids like ApexiCon E Cream increased the risk for miscarriages, poor fetal growth, and decreased survival. If using this medicine while pregnant, it is probably best to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible.
ApexiCon® E Cream (diflorasone emollient cream) is a prescription topical steroid approved for treating a variety of different skin conditions. At this time, it is unclear if the drug is safe for use during pregnancy. As with most steroids, it should be used only if necessary, at the lowest effective dose, and for the shortest possible time during pregnancy.
What Is Pregnancy Category C?
ApexiCon E Cream is classified as a pregnancy Category C drug. 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 used during pregnancy.
Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been adequately studied in pregnant humans but have caused fetal harm 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 ApexiCon E Cream, may increase the risk for 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 for topical steroids that are applied to the skin, like ApexiCon E Cream.
While short-term use (a few days) of this drug applied to a small area of the body is probably not likely to cause problems, extended use or use over a large area of the body should probably be avoided during pregnancy, if possible.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD