Skin in Pregnancy

Abstract

Pregnancy gives rise to a myriad of physiological changes in the skin and its appendages through the different stages. Cutaneous and appendageal alterations are mostly reversed postpartum. These changes can sometimes cause substantial distress to the prospective mother. Awareness, understanding, and the genesis of these normal physiological variations will help differentiate them from pathological ones, and needless interventions can be avoided. It is important for dermatologists to be familiar with the safety profile of different drugs used during pregnancy as some drugs are known to cause adverse effects in the fetus. This chapter describes the various physiological changes in pregnancy and the safety of dermatologic drugs in pregnancy. It also gives a broad overview of the new US FDA (Food and drug administration) pregnancy and lactation labeling rule (PLLR).