Pruritic urticarial papules plaques of pregnancy
Overview
A very rare skin disorder that affects women in the later stages of pregnancy. Itchy, bumpy hives and plaques develop usually on the abdominal area
Symptoms
* Itching * Bumpy hives * Skin plaques
Causes
Pregnancy
Treatment
Treatment of mild cases during pregnancy consists mainly of the application of topical moisturising creams or aqueous/emollient ointments. Class I or II corticosteroid creams and ointments are used in more aggressive cases, and oral (systemic) corticosteroids can be used to treat very severe cases--although the benefits of a pregnant woman's ingesting high-potency corticosteroids must be weighed carefully against possible (and mostly unknown) risks to the developing fetus or fetuses. Rarely, in unusually persistent and distressing cases, some women have had their labor induced as soon as they are considered to be at term (37 weeks) Antihistamine tablets may be prescribed to provide relief from the itch, although they are generally considered much less effective than corticosteroid treatments and may act as little more than a sleep aid. In the majority of cases, PUPPP resolves spontaneously within a week of delivery. However, a few women continue to experience symptoms long into the postpartum period.