If you are or have been pregnant, chances are you’ve heard about prurigo of pregnancy. As a name, it actually sounds a bit funny (“Hear ye! Hear ye! Make way for princess prurigo of pregnancy!”), or maybe that’s just me. At any rate, prurigo can happen in up to 1 in 300 pregnancies and dealing with the primary symptoms of crazy itchiness may not be so hilarious.
What is Prurigo of Pregnancy?
First of all, prurigo of pregnancy doesn’t pose any threat to the baby or any serious threat to the mother. It is basically an itchy rash that pregnant women can develop, usually in their second or third trimesters. There’s no one isolated cause, but many experts believe that it is related to changes in the immune system that take place during pregnancy. There is also some debate on whether or not it is related to eczema. Prurigo typically springs up on limbs like arms and legs, but can often be found on the stomach, too.
What Does Prurigo Look Like?
You’ll definitely want to get an official diagnosis from your doctor so s/he can rule out other possible causes, but it’s typically classified by groups of small papules. Some have hair follicles, some do not. In pregnant women, the outbreaks appear as small, dome-shaped dots and are often mistaken for bug bites. They look like little bumps clustered together and can be extremely itchy and uncomfortable.
Care Options
Nine times out of ten, prurigo of pregnancy goes away on its own after the baby is delivered. And actually, there is no known treatment that just gets rid of the condition. But what are you supposed to do during pregnancy? There are plenty of ways to soothe symptoms – primarily the itching – with proper care.
Select skincare products that are going to deeply nourish your skin with moisturizing, pH-balanced formulas. Sebamed’s thick Baby Cream Extra Soft is a favorite of our pregnant customers because it locks in moisture like a humectant, helping to alleviate itchy skin.
Many women apply benzoyl peroxide to the lesions to cleanse them, followed by a cortisteroid. Phototherapy and antihistamines may also be options for extreme prurigo of pregnancy. Again, make sure to consult with your doctor about the best options for you before deciding on a care method.
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Hi Latasha! We’re so glad you enjoyed the article. Hopefully you also found it educational. And thank you for your positive feedback! We’re going to write about prurigo more often this year so stay tuned! Best wishes.
Thanks for this helpful information.
Hi Layla! We’re so glad it was educational and you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading and taking the time to give us feedback. We’ll look forward to hopefully hearing from you again in the future! Best wishes.
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Hi there! Wow! Your words are so sweet. Thank you so much! Prurigo definitely should be more talked about and we’re going to feature another article on it again soon. We hope to hear more feedback from you in the future! Best wishes.