06/25/2010

PSORIASIS MAY POSE PREGNANCY RISKS

While it has already been established that pregnancy adversely affects psoriasis in most cases, little research had been done to see if the opposite is true. Now, a recent review of data shows that pregnant women with psoriasis do have significantly increased risk of undesirable outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, preeclampsia, placenta previa, and ectopic pregnancy. The review of 358 psoriasis patients and 131,424 similar women with no psoriasis diagnosis showed that the rate of complication among psoriasis patients for each of the poor pregnancy outcomes was three to four times greater than that seen in women without the inflammatory disease. While future research is needed to further explore these potential risks, women should be advised of this finding.

Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. Some women see an improvement in the severity of their psoriasis during pregnancy, while others report their psoriasis gets worse. Changes in severity of psoriasis vary by individual and from pregnancy to pregnancy. At ELMHURST DERMATOLOGY, we carefully explore with each patient the medical options for his or her particular condition. Our services include treatment for psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis. Please call us at 630-832-2111 to arrange an evaluation. We are located at 103 N. Haven, Suite 7, Elmhurst. Your skin specialist, dedicated to providing expert care of all disorders of the skin, hair, and nails.

P.S. A psoriasis diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the appearance of the skin.