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If you suffer from psoriasis, pregnancy will probably bring up the Genetics issue. One of the questions that worry future parents, that have psoriasis, is: Will I pass psoriasis to my child?
Statistically:
- If one of the parents has psoriasis, the possibility of their child developing psoriasis is ~25%.
- If both parents have psoriasis, the possibility of their child developing psoriasis is ~60-75%.
Therefore, if one or even both parents have psoriasis, their child will have a big enough chance not to develop psoriasis.
There has to be present some kind of a provoking factor (stress, infection, skin trauma etc.), to start the mechanisms of psoriasis in the genetically predisposed child.
Not the psoriasis is inherited, but the predisposition to psoriasis, i.e. shifts in the metabolism, specific features of the skin etc. Therefore, if you suffer from psoriasis, pregnancy should not be clouded over with the thoughts that your child will also develop psoriasis.
There are things, which depend on us and which do not.
The genetic predisposition does not depend on us. Possibly in the future the genetic science advances will let us eliminate any bad predispositions, including the predisposition to psoriasis.
What depends on us is creating the loving and caring environment for the child, during and after pregnancy. Also we can try to reduce to a minimum the Psoriasis Risk Factors for our children.
I'd also like to add: If you have decided for yourself that you are ready for parenthood then please stop worrying about the child inheriting psoriasis. In comparison with other genetic diseases (Haemophilia, Neurofibromatosis, Prader-Willi syndrome etc.), psoriasis is nothing!
Hormonal Changes
Pregnant women with psoriasis go through hormonal changes during the pregnancy and during the breast-feeding, which can have various effects on the course of their psoriasis.
In some women during their pregnancy psoriasis was noted to substantially improve.
Psoriasis is not an obstacle to pregnancy and it does not disrupt the reproductive functions in women. If a woman with psoriasis plans a pregnancy, she should simply inform her dermatologist.
During the first pregnancy psoriasis will usually change its course, whether to better or worse. These changes make it possible to predict the flow of psoriasis during following pregnancies, since it is noted that each pregnancy is usually accompanied by similar changes in the psoriatic disease.
If you have psoriasis, pregnancy may substantially improve its course.
Possibly the main factor, which improves psoriasis during pregnancy, is an increase in the level of certain hormones in pregnant women:
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Cortisol is a hormone which possesses a beneficial anti-inflammatory action. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands of the mother and the fetus. Cortisol hormone helps the fetus to use nutrition properly within the body.
The levels of Cortisol in the body rise during pregnancy. Therefore, the psoriatic lesions throughout the pregnancy often become less expressed - as during an application of a hormonal cream with Cortisol.
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Estrogen and Progesterone hormones possess the immunosuppressive action, which is assumed to be capable of suppressing the autoimmune reactions with psoriasis.
The levels of Estrogens and Progesterone in the body also rise during pregnancy.
After giving birth psoriasis may get worse. In the first three months after giving birth, in the majority of women with psoriasis, the lesions again re-appear on the skin, including on the sections, where there was noted an improvement.
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