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By Serena Gordon<\/b>
HealthDay Reporter<\/i><\/p>\n
THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
Children who need to take oral steroids for chronic or life-threatening conditions can experience serious side effects, according to new research.<\/p>\n
Children with autoimmune disorders such as juvenile arthritis<\/a>, psoriasis<\/a> or inflammatory bowel disease<\/a> are often prescribed a steroid to keep the illness under control.<\/p>\n But the odds that a child might develop diabetes<\/a> was nearly six times higher in children taking steroids than in those who don’t. The odds of high blood pressure<\/a> was 19 times higher in those on steroids, and the likelihood of a blood clot<\/a> was 16 times higher, the study found.<\/p>\n The good news, however, is that these complications are all exceedingly rare.<\/p>\n “These complications are serious but rare. They affect a very tiny proportion of children with steroids,” said study author Dr. Daniel Horton, an assistant professor of pediatrics<\/a> and epidemiology at the Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science in New Brunswick, N.J.<\/p>\n Horton pointed out that doctors are aware of the many side effects related to steroids, but they also know how much good the drugs<\/a> can do in certain situations, such as asthma<\/a> or autoimmune conditions.<\/p>\n “When I prescribe this medication, the benefits must outweigh the risks or I wouldn’t prescribe it. This study shows the kinds of complications that doctors need to look out for, particularly if a child receives high doses of an oral steroid like prednisone<\/a>,” Horton said.<\/p>\n The study included more than 930,000 U.S. children up to age 18. Some had autoimmune diseases and some didn’t. Many of the youngsters (about two-thirds) with autoimmune diseases who were also given steroids showed evidence of asthma<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n The researchers didn’t look for all types of complications linked to steroids. They searched for diabetes<\/a>, high blood pressure<\/a> and blood clots<\/a>. High blood pressure<\/a> was the complication that occurred most in children taking steroids.<\/p>\n All three complications were more common in children with autoimmune diseases, whether or not they were taking steroids.<\/p>\n Horton said this study wasn’t designed to prove a direct cause-and-effect link. It only found an association. But, he added, “The results were fairly robust in a large population, which suggests a real effect of these medications.”<\/p>\n The effect of steroids in the body is complex, Horton said. Some ways they act in the body are disrupting metabolic activity and increasing direct hormonal effects on the heart<\/a> and blood vessels. Steroids are also known to cause weight gain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr. Robert Pass is division chief for pediatric cardiology at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York City. He was not part of the research, but reviewed the findings.<\/p>\n “This study reinforces the known idea that steroids can cause or enhance the risk of diabetes<\/a>, high blood pressure<\/a> and blood clots<\/a>. But, for most children taking oral steroids, there are not many alternatives,” Pass said.<\/p>\n “In children with very bad asthma<\/a>, use of oral steroids is a mainstay. You don’t want to miss out on the benefits of oral steroids when needed. If used properly, steroids can be administered safely,” he said.<\/p>\n Pass said the study points to the ongoing need for alternative therapies. But he added that parents don’t need to be frightened if their child needs a steroid. He suggested speaking with the child’s physician about the decision to put the child on a steroid.<\/p>\n And, both doctors said, whenever possible, steroid-sparing medications are chosen. Nutrition<\/a> counseling may help avoid some of the weight gain<\/a> that can occur with steroids, Horton said.<\/p>\n The study was published recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology<\/i>.<\/p>\n ![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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