“Is it safe to treat toenail fungus when I’m pregnant?” is a common question being asked by the moms-to-be.

👉🏻Nail fungus is rarely an emergency, but if you feel you need to treat yours while you’re pregnant, it is better to stick with topical antifungal creams, sold over the counter.

👉🏻 They’re fine to use throughout pregnancy, because not enough of the drug enters your bloodstream to cause a problem.

👉🏻Oral antifungal medications should only be used during pregnancy when the benefits outweigh the risks.

👉🏻The oral medications most often used to treat toenail fungus are FDA category B and category C drugs in pregnancy.

Category B means the drug is considered safe based on animal studies, but no human studies have been done.

Category C means the drug should be used with caution during pregnancy because animal studies have shown it to have adverse effects on the baby.)

Your healthcare provider can help you decide whether your fungus warrants oral medication and which one would be best for you.

👉🏻If you have diabetes, for example, it may be important to treat the fungus right away.

👉🏻Avoid oral antifungal medications that contain griseofulvin, which can cause birth defects if taken in the first trimester.

👉🏻You might want to try alternative remedies, such as topical application of tea tree essential oil. The U.S. National Institutes of Health suggests applying 100 percent tea tree oil twice a day for six months to treat toenail fungus. (Lower concentrations of tea tree oil don’t seem to be effective.)