What causes itchy belly during pregnancy?

Many pregnant women will feel itchy in their stomachs during pregnancy. There are many reasons for itchy stomachs. During pregnancy, the pregnant woman's stomach will become very large, and the fibers in the belly will be stretched to form stretch marks, and the area where the stretch marks are located will become itchy. In addition, skin problems such as rash, eczema, and dermatitis can cause an itchy belly in pregnant women. Cholestasis during pregnancy can also cause an itchy belly in pregnant women. Generally speaking, if a pregnant woman's belly itches for more than three days, should she suspect cholestasis during pregnancy? Therefore, pregnant women should seek medical attention immediately if their stomach itches for more than 3 days.

Causes:

1. Pregnancy skin disease: More than 15% of pregnant women may encounter this skin disease. The whole body may itch, usually occurring during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. There are no changes on the skin other than itching, and no rashes or blisters appear. The cause of the disease is generally believed to be related to the increase in estrogen during pregnancy and has no effect on the fetus.

2. Pregnancy rash: About 2% of pregnant women may suffer from this disease, which usually occurs between the 4th and 9th months of pregnancy. Small red rashes appear on the skin, most often on the extremities, and look like insect bites. Some pregnant women think that the problem is caused by lice or fleas on their pets, but in fact it is caused by the pregnancy itself and has no effect on the fetus.

3. Toxic skin rash during pregnancy: The prevalence rate is about 1%, mostly occurring in short and obese pregnant women, and most often occurs when stretch marks appear. It is currently believed that it may be related to hormonal imbalance. The comforting thing is that this skin itching will not harm the fetus.

4. Papular dermatitis of pregnancy: The incidence is very low and the disease may occur in any part of the body. When the disease occurs, rashes will appear on the skin all over the body. The cause of this disease is still unclear, but it may cause miscarriage or stillbirth, so you must be especially careful.

5. Pregnancy rash and eczema are also common causes of itchy belly in pregnant women. The former is caused by the mother's rejection of the genes and chromosomes in the child's body that come from the father. In addition to itchy belly, rashes and itching may appear on the thighs and even upper limbs, and some may also have pigmentation. The latter (eczema) is common in pregnant women who sweat a lot, have a high metabolism, or are obese. In addition to the above common reasons, some diseases may also cause itchy belly during pregnancy. Therefore, pregnant women and their families are reminded not to take itchy belly lightly. It is best to report it to a doctor in time to find out the cause.

6. Itching all over the body may be caused by cholestasis. Bilirubin is secreted by liver cells, enters the gallbladder through the liver's bile ducts, and forms bile. After eating, the stimulated bile duct contracts, causing bile to be discharged into the duodenum. The main function of bile is to assist gastrointestinal digestion and absorption. The bile salts it contains can emulsify fat and promote the body's absorption of lipid vitamins. Cholestasis of pregnancy can be simply explained as a large amount of bile refluxing into the blood due to poor excretion, thus causing some adverse consequences. In medicine, cholestasis of pregnancy is caused by the placenta producing a large amount of androgen during pregnancy, which changes the permeability of cell membranes and weakens the function of bile excretion, leading to bile stasis and bile thrombus formation, causing bile acid and bilirubin to reflux into the blood, resulting in a series of clinical symptoms such as itching all over the body in late pregnancy.

7. If the pregnant mother's skin becomes drier, it is recommended to bathe with a mild, weakly acidic cleanser and apply moisturizing skin care products after bathing. If the discomfort affects your daily routine, you should ask a doctor for a prescription.