Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2024 Jul 11;20(3):308-313.
doi: 10.1007/s13181-024-01016-x. Epub 2024 Jun 5.

Neonatal and Maternal Ichthyosiform Dermopathy in Association with Kava Use during Pregnancy

Hannah H Spungen  1   2 , Kartik Mody  1   2   3 , Becky Micetic  2   3 , Christine Wade  2   3 , A Min Kang  4   5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Neonatal and Maternal Ichthyosiform Dermopathy in Association with Kava Use during Pregnancy

Hannah H Spungen et al. J Med Toxicol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Kava, a substance derived from the Piper methysticum plant, is enjoying a surge in popularity in the United States due to its purported anxiolytic and analgesic effects. Though ichthyosiform dermopathy is a known adverse effect associated with chronic kava exposure in adults, dermopathy in a newborn due to maternal kava use has not yet been described.

Case report: This is a case of a 41-year-old woman who was taking a combination kava/kratom product throughout her pregnancy. She developed an ichthyosiform dermopathy that resolved after she stopped using the product postpartum. Her male infant had a neonatal course complicated by both neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, attributed to maternal kratom and buprenorphine use, as well as a diffuse ichthyosiform rash similar to descriptions of kava ichthyosiform dermopathy in adults. His neonatal course was complicated by Group B streptococcus and Serratia marscecens bacteremia (treated with antibiotics) and seizures (treated with lorazepam and phenobarbital). His rash resolved completely by day of life 22. At 9-month outpatient follow-up, he had no dermatologic abnormalities or rash recurrence.

Discussion: Maternal kava use during pregnancy may cause fetal dermopathy presenting as an acquired ichthyosis. More public education is needed about the potential consequences of kava use, particularly during pregnancy.

Keywords: Dermopathy; Ichthyosis; Kava; Newborn; Pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Hannah Spungen, Kartik Mody, Becky Micetic, Christine Wade, and A. Min Kang declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(a) Back label of the actual kava/kratom product used by the infant’s mother daily throughout her pregnancy. (b) Close-up of ingredient list on the label taken from a promotional photo on the company website indicating each 1-oz serving contains 2600 mg of a “proprietary blend” of kava root extract and kratom leaf
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(a) Mother’s scaling pruritic rash in the immediate postpartum period before discontinuing the combination kava/kratom product use; (b) Resolution of mother’s rash several weeks after discontinuing use of the kava/kratom product
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Scaling ichthyosiform rash in the neonate highlighted (a) around the mouth; (b) on the face, arms, and torso; and (c) on the torso, arms, and thighs; (d) and (e) show complete resolution of the rash at approximately 6 weeks of age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. White CM. The Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Efficacy, and adverse events Associated with Kava. J Clin Pharmacol. 2018;58(11):1396–405. 10.1002/jcph.1263. 10.1002/jcph.1263 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hannam S, Murray M, Romani L, Tuicakau M. Kava Dermopathy in Fiji: an acquired ichthyosis? Int J Dermatol. 2014;53(12):1490–4. 10.1111/ijd.12546. 10.1111/ijd.12546 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pont-Fernandez S, Kheyfets M, Rogers JM, Smith KE, Epstein DH. Kava (Piper methysticum) in the United States: the quiet rise of a substance with often subtle effects. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2023;49(1):85–96. 10.1080/00952990.2022.2140292. 10.1080/00952990.2022.2140292 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Norton SA, Ruze P. Kava Dermopathy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1994;31(1):89–97. 10.1016/s0190-9622(94)70142-3. 10.1016/s0190-9622(94)70142-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jappe U, Franke I, Reinhold D, Gollnick HP. Sebotropic drug reaction resulting from kava-kava extract therapy: a new entity? J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998;38(1):104–6. 10.1016/s0190-9622(98)70547-x. 10.1016/s0190-9622(98)70547-x - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources