Vitamin C & Itchy Skin In Pregnancy

An estimated 20 percent of pregnant women experience itchy skin during their pregnancy, according to Babycenter, a website that provides expert health advice to mothers. While hormone changes and stretching skin are the likely culprits, the condition most often is harmless. Relieve symptoms and prevent itching by eating a diet rich in vitamin C, a mineral that helps keep your skin healthy and supple.

Vitamin C and Collagen

Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, a protein necessary for the formation of cartilage, muscle, blood vessels and skin. Collagen supports the structure of your skin, giving it strength, firmness and elasticity; inadequate levels of vitamin C in your diet can cause your skin to become dry, rough and scaly, leading to itchy skin. The National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements recommends pregnant and breastfeeding women get 85 and 120 mg of the vitamin, respectively.

Abdominal and Body Itching

As your belly grows during pregnancy and your skin stretches, you might experience an itchy abdomen. The condition is common and might intensify later in your pregnancy, but if the itching spreads to your breasts, thighs or buttocks, and red bumps and hives develop, you might have pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, or PUPPP. Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy occurs in 1 in 200 pregnant women, often during the third trimester, and disappears after delivery, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports. It is more common in first pregnancies and in women with a family history of the condition, Marc Tunzi and Gary R. Gray note in the January 2007 issue of "American Family Physician."

Cholestasis of Pregnancy

If you experience intense itching all over your body, including the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, you might have cholestasis of pregnancy. Symptoms also include nausea, vomiting, jaundice, fatigue, pale stools and loss of appetite. Cholestasis is a serious liver condition that commonly occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy. While it often disappears days after delivery, it might increase your chance of preterm birth and other complications, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Pre-Existing Skin Conditions

Pregnancy might improve or worsen pre-existing skin conditions that cause dry, cracked and itchy skin. According to Tunzi and Gray, symptoms of eczema usually worsen, while psoriasis often improves. Eczema is a skin disorder that causes dry, itchy patches of skin or rashes, while psoriasis causes raised thick, silvery and scaly lesions to form on the skin.

Prevention and Treatment

Apply moisturizing or calamine lotion to itchy areas to soothe dry skin. Use mild, gentle soaps when bathing to prevent your skin from drying out, and add neem leaves, boiled in 1 cup of water, to your bath water, Babycenter recommends. Wear loose clothing and avoid the heat, which can aggravate dry, itchy skin. Most importantly, drink plenty of water and ensure you add foods rich in vitamin E, zinc, beta-carotene and vitamin C to your diet, Babycenter adds. This will keep your skin hydrated, soft and supple.

Warning

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not exceed recommended daily amounts of vitamin C, as too much of the vitamin can increase your risk of preterm birth, Babycenter warns. If you are considering taking a vitamin C supplement, talk to your doctor.