Among pregnant women, oral corticosteroid use was not linked to higher rates of gestational diabetes.

No substantial increase in risk was observed among women exposed to OCSs between 1 and 27 weeks’ gestation, except for a slight increase during weeks 4–6. The findings remained consistent across age groups, indications, doses, and durations.

Question Does oral corticosteroid use during pregnancy increase the risk of gestational diabetes?

Findings In this cohort study of 1 325 940 pregnancies resulting in live births, oral corticosteroid use between 1 and 27 weeks’ gestation was not associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes compared with unexposed pregnancies.

Meaning These results suggest that oral corticosteroid treatment during pregnancy does not elevate the risk of gestational diabetes and may be considered a reasonable therapeutic option for managing maternal conditions.