Ask An Expert: Hives After Baby's Birth

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Ask An Expert: Hives After Baby's Birth

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Question:

Can hormonal changes after giving birth cause hives?

Answer:

Hives (urticaria) is an itchy skin reaction characterized by well-defined pink "wheals" (skin swellings). Hives can be caused by a wide variety of conditions, including illnesses, medication allergies, food allergies, hormones, pollen, bee stings, medical conditions, pregnancy, exposure to pets, heat, cold, vibration, perfumes, and many other things.

Hives associated with pregnancy usually occurs in the last trimester and usually resolve after delivery. However, in rare cases, hives can arise after delivery.

PUPPP (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy) is an example of an itchy rash that can occur during the third trimester of pregnancy. This appears as tiny pink bumps over the abdomen and sometimes buttocks, thighs, and other areas. The rash is extremely itchy. PUPPP usually resolves after childbirth, but can in rare cases arise after childbirth.

Because there are so many different causes of hives, it is important to see a physician not only for treatment but also to try to determine the underlying cause. If breathing difficulties occur, it is important to seek emergency treatment.

Rebecca Campen, M.D., J.D. is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and former Deputy Director of the Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital Cutaneous Biology Research Center (CBRC). She currently serves as Senior Advisor to the CBRC and divides her time between clinical practice of dermatology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and private practice in Savannah, Georgia. Dr. Campen is the author of two books for medical students and residents, Going Into Medical Practice and Blueprints in Dermatology.

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Last updated:	March 21, 2007
Reviewed By:	Faculty of Harvard Medical School

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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