Skin Conditions or Disorders During Pregnancy

1. Skin Conditions or Disorders during Pregnancy Yes, pregnancy is a beautiful thing and yes, it does makeyour skin glow but that’s notall. A pregnant womanexperiences a lot of skinchanges. The skin changes during pregnancy can be classifiedinto two broad categories:specific dermatoses ofpregnancy and physiologicalchanges in pregnancy.Specific dermatoses ofpregnancy can be furtherdivided into: 1. Pruritic urticarial papulesand plaques of pregnancy(PUPPPP) - It is the mostcommon dermatoses ofpregnancy with an incidence of 1 in 240 pregnancies. It characteristically begins in thethird trimester with a meanonset at 35 weeks of pregnancy. The common sitesare lower abdomen particularly stretch marks and also on chest, back and breast. The lesions are intensely itchy and areerythematous with urticarial (hives) papules and plaques. Treatment is a short course of oral and topical steroids along with antihistamines. 2. Prurigo of pregnancy - These are multiple excoriated papules over the abdomen andlimbs. The onset is between 25 and 30 weeks of pregnancy and it occurs in 1 in 300pregnancies.

2. Symptomatic treatment with corticosteroids and antihistamines. 3. Pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy - It begins in the second or third trimester and resolves by two weeks post delivery. It consists of cluster of itchy red papules along the hairroots. Symptomatic treatment. 4. Herpes gestationis - It is autoimmune blistering disease that typically begins in the latesecond trimester around 21 to 23 weeks. The common lesions seen are blisters. However,urticarial papules and plaques may also be present. It is commonly seen around theumbilicus. Treatment. Mild cases respond to topical corticosteroids and oral antihistamines. Severecases may need oral steroids. And, physiological changes can be further divided into: 1. Hyperpigmentation of the nipples, surrounding areolae, and anogenital area. 2. Pigmentation of the linea alba, also called as linea nigra. This is a dark line that arisesfrom the umbilicus up to the pubic region. 3. Hyperpigmentation of the axillae and inner thighs. 4. Spotty pigmentation over cheeks called chloasma. 5. Due to the pressure of the growing uterus there are certain changes to the blood vessels,which can manifest as haemorrhoids, varicose vein of lower limb, palmar erythma orredness, prominent veins around the umbilicus and breasts. 6. Striae distensae or stretch marks, cracked and sore nipples, itchy breasts, skin tags,increase in sweating, increase in the sebum secretion is experienced by majority of thepregnant women. Most of the physiological changes fade away after delivery. So don’t fret. Article Source http://www.skinclinicbangalore.com/post/skin-conditions-or-disorders-during-pregnancy/952 Published at Dr. Kisalay Saurav’s blog