Steroid nose sprays are unsafe for children with hay fever

What the research found

A 12-month randomised trial in 2009 followed 255 children aged 6 to 11 with year-round allergic rhinitis. They used either mometasone or beclomethasone nasal spray. The researchers checked hormone response and eye pressure. They concluded that mometasone was safe and effective for a year of treatment.

A 2012 randomised trial gave a steroid nasal spray (beclomethasone) to people aged 12 to 45 with year-round allergic rhinitis for six weeks. It found no effect on the body's own cortisol system compared with placebo.

A 2022 trial pooled data from adults with chronic sinus disease and nasal polyps who used a steroid nasal spray, and looked at eye safety. It noted that these sprays are generally considered safe, though there is some concern about eye effects with long-term use. This study was not in children.

What it doesn’t mean

• Steroid medicines in general can cause problems such as slowed growth in children and eye problems like cataracts. This is mainly with high doses or long courses. Those warnings cover steroids as a group, not nose sprays specifically.
• The trials were fairly small and mostly short, apart from the one-year study in children aged 6 to 11. They do not prove every product is safe for every child.
• Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before giving your child any nose medicine. See them again if symptoms do not improve.