Vitiligo during pregnancy can be safely treated with treatments that do not interfere with the baby’s health.
What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a skin disease that leads to white patches over large areas of the body. These are due to the depigmentation.
Vitiligo is triggered when the body stops producing melanin in the skin.
The precise reason why the physical body stopped producing melanin is unknown, however there are many theories.
The development of vitiligo is associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, iron deficiency and even hormonal changes.
Vitiligo during pregnancy
During the period of pregnancy, vitamin B12 and iron deficiency increases and there is not much chance of stabilizing vitiligo.
Similarly, during pregnancy, emotional tension also increases and consequently the possibility of developing vitiligo during this period increases.
Many studies speculate that Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system views pigmented skin cells as international physical bodies and affects them. Furthermore, many believe that the basis of this autoimmune disease is hereditary.
As Vitiligo is considered a genetic disease, it is more and more common for people who want to have children to be concerned about Vitiligo and also about motherhood.
Babies of parents with Vitiligo are more likely to establish skin disease.
However, most children will not acquire the skin problem even if a parent has it.
Also, most people with Vitiligo don’t have a genealogy of the problem.
Vitiligo and conception
Vitiligo treatment can be continued during pregnancy but with some precautions such as stopping some drugs for therapy.
In fact, some drugs can travel across the placenta and then to the fetus, so they are stopped to endanger the baby.
Pregnant women should speak to both their dermatologist and obstetrician regarding this matter.
Strong topical lotions should also be avoided, particularly while breastfeeding.
As this disease varies from person to person in severity and also the type of areas, there cannot be a general recommendation.
Each patient should bring concerns and even thoughts to their doctors and devise a plan that is most appropriate for them.
Many people with Vitiligo have no relatives with Vitiligo.
However, a sufficient number of individuals with Vitiligo have parents, or brothers or sisters who establish Vitiligo that there appears to be a genetic aspect.
