Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcome with Maternal Exposure to Finasteride: Case Series
January 2021
in “
Journal of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery
”
TLDR Exposure to the hair loss drug finasteride during pregnancy can cause genital anomalies in male babies, but not in female babies. It's best to avoid this drug in women who could potentially become pregnant.
The study "Pregnancy and neonatal outcome with maternal exposure to finasteride: Case series" examined the outcomes of seven pregnant women who were exposed to finasteride, a drug used to treat hair loss, during their pregnancies. All seven women discontinued the drug upon discovering their pregnancies. The study found that the neonatal outcome of in utero finasteride exposure depends on the gender of the fetus. Female fetuses did not have any genital anomalies or any other anomalies. However, some male fetuses had genital anomalies, which could be explained by the timing of exposure to finasteride. The study concluded that the use of teratogenic medications in women of child-bearing potential could be controversial and suggested avoiding use in women of child-bearing potential when possible.
