Pruritus in Pregnancy

Excerpt

Pruritus is a common symptom of skin barrier-related damage and dry skin. Damage to skin barriers can result in water loss through the epidermis, activating nerve fibers that cause itching. Scratching can further damage the skin barrier, resulting in additional itching. Topical therapies are first-line treatments, and as the understanding of the etiology of itching improves, new antipruritic therapies are discovered.

Pregnancy, a state of profound physiological and hormonal alterations, is associated with a spectrum of changes in the skin and appendages. More than 90% of pregnant women experience 1 or more forms of skin changes. Among these, pruritus is extremely common. The complete mechanism underlying itching, in general, is not entirely understood. Some skin disorders affect specific areas of the body. Vulvovaginal pruritus during pregnancy is one example.

Because multiple pregnancy-related and non-pregnancy-related etiologies exist for pruritus in pregnancy, it is essential to distinguish between them. Itching in pregnancy may be the first sign of an underlying disorder that may have deleterious effects on pregnancy and fetal outcomes, including increased maternal and fetal morbidity and even mortality in some cases.