[Topical therapy in pregnancy]

Any instance of drug administration during pregnancy can pose problems and will always take place after careful consideration and specific benefit risk evaluation. Even in the case of local therapy, which is rightly considered particularly safe, several active substances are applied whose embryotoxic potential is either relevant when given systemically in animals or humans, or unknown. With this in mind, several active substances designed for topical application are discussed that should not be applied at all during pregnancy or only within defined periods, even under various conditions of local therapy. The borderlines are unclear, and are indicated with particular reference to areas for which no reliable data are available.