Pregnancy and Eczema - Guidance to Help You Cope

Pregnancy is a very demanding and stressful time for any women. There are a whole range of new physical and emotional challenges that in many cases are difficult to cope with. One of those challenges is having a skin condition called eczema. Although, eczema can appear at any time it can be quite common during pregnancy as many of the conditions that can trigger eczema such as stress, dry skin or diet deficiency can result when a woman is pregnant.

Eczema is a skin condition that causes dry, red itchy rashes on the skin. The itchiness of the rash can become so intense that the sufferer can no longer resist scratching the rash. This can lead to the rash becoming cracked and infected. The condition can disappear soon after pregnancy however, in certain chronic cases the condition can continue. At the moment there is no cure for eczema however, it can be controlled with the proper treatment. Obviously, great care has to be taken when treating pregnant women with eczema as certain treatments can have side effects.

With a pregnant woman a doctor will have to determine the appropriate treatment that can alleviate the discomfort of eczema during each trimester. This will require a delicate understanding on the part of the doctor to ensure the pregnant woman is not given added stress. The process can begin by trying to identify the possible triggers that caused the eczema. By identifying and assessing the triggers the doctor can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

The doctor can try a number of different tests to identify the triggers. A common one is a skin test where a number of different chemical substances are applied to the skin. This is to determine if there is any allergic reaction. If there is an allergic reaction the doctor can determine if it was caused by a reaction to a certain chemical contained in a baby product or a specific food ingredient such as wheat. The doctor can advise the woman to avoid using certain skin products or change specific foods in her diet.

Further treatment can involve mild creams that can soothe the symptoms of eczema. It is important to prevent the skin from becoming dry and creams that contain B12 applied after washing should help. It is also important to keep the skin moisturised and this can be helped by drinking water or natural juices throughout the day.