Psoriasis is not an obstacle to pregnancy and does not interfere with the reproductive function in women, if a woman is planning a pregnancy, she should consult a dermatologist about this in advance.
Treatment of psoriasis during pregnancy
The choice of drugs for the treatment of psoriasis during pregnancy is small, since many of them are toxic to the fetus. Pregnant women need to especially carefully monitor the skin and prevent it from drying out. In some cases, pregnancy has a positive effect on the course of psoriasis, in some women during pregnancy there was a significant improvement.
In severe psoriasis, treatment in pregnant women is very difficult.
During pregnancy, women stop treatment with most drugs, as they can lead to
impaired intrauterine development of the baby. Women who suffer from psoriatic
arthritis during pregnancy may experience increased joint pain due to weight
gain.
A small number of women develop one of the severe, clinical and rare variants
of the disease – generalized pustular psoriasis , which develops during
pregnancy or immediately after childbirth. Hormonal fluctuations and impaired
vitamin D metabolism lead to such an exacerbation, the lesion often begins with
skin folds. All over the abdomen and in the groin area, red plaques begin to
appear, accompanied by itching, pustules appear around the plaques, and the
general state of health worsens. Also, patients may experience nausea, fever,
and mental disorders, so antibiotics are often prescribed during exacerbations.
This form of psoriasis is very dangerous and often has severe consequences for
the fetus, involuntary abortion is possible. But as a rule, pustular psoriasis
that occurs during pregnancy disappears after childbirth.
The exact reasons for the improvement in the condition of patients with
psoriasis during pregnancy are unknown. Perhaps the main reason is the increase
in the level of cortisol in pregnant women, secreted by the adrenal glands of
the mother and fetus.
After childbirth, the course of the disease may become more severe, psoriasis
worsens. In the first three months after giving birth, most women with
psoriasis will develop rashes on their skin again, sometimes even in areas that
were previously improved.