Managing Urticaria and Skin Conditions Safely During Pregnancy: New Study Insights

Managing skin disease during pregnancy: what a new study found

A new cross-sectional study offers a close look at how pregnant women experience and manage dermatological conditions while expecting, and it raises important questions about communication, treatment choices, and disease control (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Where the study took place and who was included

The research was carried out at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and enrolled 273 pregnant women to assess skin disease prevalence, treatment choices, and the role of clinician counseling (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Disease breakdown: which skin problems were most common

Overall, about one-third of participants (33.7%) reported an active dermatological condition within the year before confirming their pregnancy, highlighting that skin disease in pregnancy is common (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

The most frequently reported diagnoses were atopic dermatitis (11%), acne (9.2%), and hand eczema (7.3%). Urticaria was less common, reported by 4.0% of participants, but the authors note it remains clinically important because of its typical symptom pattern (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Why urticaria deserves attention during pregnancy

Although not the most prevalent condition in the study, urticaria can cause sudden flares, intense pruritus, and a meaningful drop in quality of life, often requiring ongoing use of antihistamines or other systemic therapies (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

How pregnancy affected symptoms

More than half of women with skin disease experienced worsening of their symptoms during pregnancy, a pattern that is consistent with known immune and hormonal shifts in pregnancy that can aggravate inflammatory and hypersensitivity-driven skin disorders (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026; Source: Murase et al., Arch Dermatol.).

These physiological changes can make conditions like atopic dermatitis and urticaria harder to control without appropriate treatment adjustments or medical guidance (Source: Murase et al., Arch Dermatol.).

Gaps in care: many women did not seek help

Despite frequent symptom changes, only 24% of women with active skin disease sought medical consultation after learning they were pregnant, indicating a large gap in access to or uptake of dermatologic care (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Even among women who reported skin disease, fewer than one-third reached out to a clinician, suggesting concerns, barriers, or uncertainty about safety and treatment options play a major role in care-seeking behavior (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Treatment discontinuation: a major and common issue

Stopping therapy after pregnancy confirmation was widespread: 57.6% of women discontinued their dermatologic treatments, and of those, 81.1% did so without consulting a healthcare professional, which raises concerns about uninformed treatment changes (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Discontinuation was especially common among women with urticaria, where 75% interrupted therapy—one of the highest rates reported in the study—despite many antihistamines having an established safety record in pregnancy (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Why people stop treatment

Patient worries about possible teratogenic effects, endocrine disruption, or impacts on fetal development were repeatedly reported as reasons to stop or change medications and products, even when evidence for those risks is limited for many commonly used agents (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Consequences of stopping treatment

Treatment discontinuation had clear clinical consequences: more than half (54.7%) of women who stopped therapy experienced worsening of their skin disease, which translated into persistent pruritus, disturbed sleep, and lower overall quality of life (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

The study also notes that psychological stress often increases when skin disease is uncontrolled, and heightened stress has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes in other research, making effective disease control important for both maternal well-being and potentially fetal health (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026; Source: Murase et al., Arch Dermatol.).

The protective role of physician counseling

Consulting a healthcare professional made a big difference: women who saw a clinician were significantly more likely to continue treatment (relative risk 2.63) and had much lower odds of discontinuing therapy (odds ratio 0.11), underscoring the power of evidence-based counseling (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Notably, continuation of systemic treatments—including antihistamines commonly used for urticaria—occurred exclusively among women who had received medical guidance, showing that clinician input can reassure patients and support appropriate therapy (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Where women got information — and how that influenced decisions

Patient concern about prescription medications was common: over one-third of participants expressed worry about taking prescribed drugs during pregnancy, and those concerns were higher among women with skin disease (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Many women relied on non-medical sources: about half used online platforms and social media for guidance on skin care and treatment decisions, while only 13.2% consulted physicians, which likely contributed to confusion and conservative, self-directed treatment changes (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Although most women continued using emollients, many reported changing products because of ingredient worries, showing that even over-the-counter skincare choices are influenced by perceived safety during pregnancy (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Implications for practice and patient care

The study highlights several practical needs for clinicians caring for pregnant patients with skin disease: early discussion of safety, clear evidence-based advice, and tailored plans that respect patients’ concerns while avoiding unnecessary treatment interruption (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Key clinician actions that could help include:

• Providing proactive counseling on the relative safety of common medications, such as antihistamines for urticaria, and explaining the risks of stopping effective therapy (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

• Creating individualized treatment plans that balance maternal symptom control with fetal safety and that include nonpharmacologic measures where appropriate (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

• Offering clear guidance about emollient use and common ingredient concerns so patients feel confident about basic skincare choices during pregnancy (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

• Encouraging patients to discuss information they find online so clinicians can correct misinformation and reduce anxiety (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Final thoughts

This study reveals important unmet needs in the management of skin disease during pregnancy: high rates of treatment discontinuation, frequent symptom worsening, and heavy reliance on non-medical information sources all point to a gap in communication and support for pregnant patients (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

For conditions like urticaria, where ongoing management is often needed to control symptoms and protect quality of life, early, evidence-based clinician counseling can make a measurable difference in treatment adherence and patient well-being (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

The authors recommend further research into patient-centered, tailored approaches to skincare and treatment guidance in pregnancy so that women receive clear, reliable information and the support they need to make informed choices (Source: Seeberg et al., JEADV Clinical Practice, 2026).

Sources

1. Seeberg F, Frølunde A, Deleuran M, Kolding L, Vestergaard C. “Managing Skin Diseases During Pregnancy: Treatment Discontinuation, Concerns and Physician Counselling,” JEADV Clinical Practice (2026): e70308. https://doi.org/10.1002/jvc2.70308 (Source: JEADV Clinical Practice).
2. Murase JE, Chan KK, Garite TJ, Cooper DM, Weinstein GD. Hormonal effect on psoriasis in pregnancy and post partum. Arch Dermatol. (Source: Arch Dermatology).
3. Aarhus University Hospital. Study site and research team information (Source: Aarhus University Hospital, Seeberg et al. study publication).