ABSTRACT

The effect of pregnancy on atopic dermatitis and psoriasis is unpredictable. Pregnancy appears to be one of a number of triggers for generalised pustular psoriasis. One of the most important factors to consider is the potential impact that dermatological drugs and therapies may have on a pregnancy. The pregnancy-associated suppression of cell-mediated immunity is thought to cause the often marked increase in human papillomavirus warty lesions. Impact of pre-existing skin diseases on the pregnancy itself is usually minimal in the absence of any multisystem involvement. Physiological cutaneous skin changes during pregnancy are common and rarely cause major concern. Some women maintain that hair growth and condition improve in pregnancy. Isotretinoin is especially harmful, causing central nervous system (CNS), craniofacial and cardiovascular abnormalities in as many as 50 percent of exposed pregnancies. Apocrine gland activity declines in pregnancy, meaning that the rare conditions affecting these glands are likely to improve.