Pregnancy & Baby 

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PUPP: an annoying, but common skin condition

PUPP stands for pruritic (itch) urticarial (like ‘hives’) papules (red pimples) and plaques (irritable flakes) of pregnancy. It is an annoying but benign condition. It is the most common skin condition of pregnancy and is characterised by a typical rash, usually appearing in the later part of pregnancy. It occurs in less than one person in a hundred. The rash usually develops on the abdomen near the umbilical area and spreads to the thighs and extremities. Sometimes itching can become very severe. It can spread to the rest of the body, but never involves the face. It is more common in first pregnancies and seldom recurs in subsequent pregnancies. This condition is usually a familial one and can be traced back through the father's side of the family.

Treatment can involve cortisone creams in the worst cases, but occasionally simple moisturising creams work. So can Calamine cream. Long, warm sodium bicarbonate baths can also be relieving. You may need to be treated with oral steroids if the itching becomes intense, but this is not often the case, and is certainly actively avoided. The lesions usually go away after giving birth. Your baby is not affected.

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