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
. 2024 Jun 10;10(2):e151.
doi: 10.1097/JW9.0000000000000151. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Atopic dermatitis in women: special considerations in the childbearing years

Rodolfo Valentini  1 , Mona Shahriari  2   3
Affiliations

Atopic dermatitis in women: special considerations in the childbearing years

Rodolfo Valentini et al. Int J Womens Dermatol. .

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common inflammatory dermatoses in adults. Women are disproportionately impacted by AD and report significant impacts on quality of life compared to men.

Objective: Given the absence of formal guidelines for the treatment of AD in women of childbearing age, we will review special considerations for treating women of childbearing age with AD to ensure consistent care and optimal outcomes for these patients.

Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant articles from database inception through May of 2023.

Results: There are several treatments including topical therapies, systemic therapies, and phototherapy that are considered safe during preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Given the negative consequences of uncontrolled AD for both the mother and the unborn baby, the risks and benefits of potential therapies should be reviewed with all women of childbearing age suffering from AD.

Limitations: The gold standard in recommending therapies is randomized controlled trials; however, pregnant and lactating women are often excluded from these trials.

Conclusion: Through shared decision-making between the dermatologist, obstetrician, and patient, the risks and benefits of any therapy should be thoroughly discussed and considered with all women of childbearing age, to optimize care and outcomes for this unique population.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis; inflammation; lactation; pregnancy; treatment; women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors made the following disclosures: R.V.: Consultant: McGraw Hill Education. M.S.: Consultant (honoraria): AbbVie, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Janssen, Leo Pharma, Lilly USA, Novartis, Novan, Galderma, Ortho Dermatologics, Sanofi-Genzyme, Regeneron, UCB. Speaker: Abbvie, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lilly USA, Janssen, Dermavant, Leo Pharma, Sanofi-Genzyme, Regeneron, UCB. Investigator: AbbVie, CorEvitas Psoriasis Registry, CorEvitas Atopic Dermatitis Registry, Dermira, Lilly USA, Cara, Dermavant, Novartis, Union, Mindera.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Chovatiya R, Paller AS. JAK inhibitors in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021;148:927–40. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kanda N, Hoashi T, Saeki H. The roles of sex hormones in the course of atopic dermatitis. Int J Mol Sci 2019;20:4660. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zeiser K, Tolkachev V, Schmid-Grendelmeier P; ProRaD Study Group. Sex differences in atopic dermatitis symptom severity - quality of life equally impaired. Cross-sectional results from the ProRaD study. Paper presented at: European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. July 1, 2022. Available from: www.eaaci.org
    1. Richard MA, Paul C, Nijsten T, et al. ; EADV burden of skin diseases project team. Prevalence of most common skin diseases in Europe: a population-based study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2022;36:1088–96. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Harrop J, Chinn S, Verlato G, et al. . Eczema, atopy and allergen exposure in adults: a population-based study. Clin Exp Allergy 2007;37:526–35. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources