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Sleepless Nights Due to Whole Body Itching During Pregnancy Is It Okay for the Baby

A precious time waiting for a lovely baby, but are you losing sleep at night due to itching that is not relieved even by scratching all over your body? Itching during pregnancy goes beyond simple skin discomfort and often leads to anxiety about whether it might have a negative impact on the baby. There are more expectant mothers than expected who cannot hide their upset feelings seeing their red and inflamed skin. This common symptoms, which in severe cases can cause whole-day tension and even depression, what causes it and how should we wisely cope with it?

💡 [Key Answer] Top 3 most common causes of itching during pregnancy: ① Increased skin dryness and sensitivity due to hormonal changes / ② Bile acid stasis due to decreased liver function / ③ Increased gut toxins and resulting immune response Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic resolves the root cause of itching during pregnancy through gut detox treatment and helps safe recovery of the body for both mother and fetus.

Itching during pregnancy occurs due to various causes, but can be broadly compressed into three. First, hormonal changes due to pregnancy. Especially as estrogen levels change rapidly, the moisture-oil balance of the skin breaks and it easily becomes dry. Dry skin reacts sensitively even to small stimuli and induces itching. Second, bile stasis due to decreased liver function. Some pregnant women may develop a disease called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP), where bile acids are not properly excreted from the liver and accumulate in the blood, causing whole-body itching. It is characterized by particularly itchy palms and soles of the feet and worse symptoms at night. Third, increased gut toxins and resulting immune response. During pregnancy, digestive function may decrease or the gut environment may become unstable due to dietary changes. When the intestinal barrier weakens, undigested toxins or waste products are absorbed into the blood, circulating throughout the body and causing inflammatory reactions in the skin, worsening itching.

Itching during pregnancy is a benign disease that causes discomfort mostly to the mother, but some types require careful observation as they can also affect the fetus. In particular, in the case of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) mentioned earlier, high bile acid levels in the blood are transmitted to the fetus, and there are reports that it can cause premature birth, fetal heart rate abnormalities, and in severe cases, fatal effects on the fetus. Therefore, if itching is severe, spreads to the palms and soles, and is accompanied by jaundice, you must receive an accurate diagnosis from a medical institution. General pruritus gravidarum does not cause direct harm to the fetus, but the mother's sleep deprivation and stress can indirectly affect the health of the fetus, so active management is important.

A systematic review study on oral herbal medicine treatment for women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy published by Wang et al. in PubMed and PMC in 2020 confirmed that when combining conventional ursodeoxycholic acid treatment and herbal medicine treatment, there is a potentially significant auxiliary effect on reducing the mother's pruritus scores. The researchers reported that the combination herbal treatment reduced pruritus scores by an average of -0.58 points (95% confidence interval -0.79 to -0.36) and serum total bile acid (TBA) levels by an average of -3.99 umol/L (95% confidence interval -4.24 to -3.74). This suggests that herbal medicine can play a positive role in improving liver function and excreting bile acids.

In addition, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis study on the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine in the treatment of chronic pruritus published by Wang et al. in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2023, analyzing 24 randomized controlled trials showed that herbal medicine treatment significantly reduced pruritus visual analogue scale (VAS) scores compared to placebo (mean difference: -2.08, 95% confidence interval -2.34 to -1.82). Although this study did not cover pregnancy-related itching alone, it provides strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of herbal medicine treatment for chronic itching in general. These research data align with the treatment philosophy of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, which seeks safe and effective solutions through fundamental physical environment improvement rather than simply suppressing symptoms when treating itching during pregnancy.

In Oriental medicine, itching during pregnancy is not viewed simply as a skin problem. It is understood that the internal balance of the body breaks down in the special situation of pregnancy, and symptoms are expressed through the skin as a result. In particular, it is explained by concepts such as 'damp-heat (濕熱)' or 'blood deficiency and wind dryness (血虛風燥)', which means that unnecessary heat and moisture accumulate in the body to become toxins, or blood deficient due to pregnancy fails to sufficiently nourish the skin, leaving it dry and itchy.

At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch, the root cause of this itching during pregnancy is approached through gut detox treatment. Modern Oriental medicine focuses on the 'Gut-Brain-Skin Axis' theory that gut health is closely connected to skin immunity. Changes in immunity and hormonal imbalance during pregnancy weaken the intestinal barrier and increase harmful bacteria in the gut, causing toxins to accumulate. These toxins circulate throughout the body via the blood and induce inflammatory reactions and itching in the skin. At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, we prescribe herbal medicine that improves the gut environment and excretes toxins according to each individual's constitution and symptoms. This is not just temporarily alleviating itching, but a treatment that restores intestinal barrier function and stabilizes the immune system to lay the foundation for the skin to become healthy on its own. To ensure that those looking for a Songdo pregnant women Korean medicine clinic can visit with peace of mind, we carefully select and use only herbal medicines that are safe for both mother and fetus.

If 3 or more of the following items apply to you, the possibility of itching during pregnancy is high, and it is recommended to set an accurate diagnosis and treatment direction through expert consultation.

• Itching mainly gets worse at night, making it difficult to sleep.
• Skin turns red or small rashes and hives rise even without scratching.
• Not only specific areas (belly, arms, legs, etc.) but the whole body itches.
• Skin is exceptionally dry and has a lot of dead skin cells.
• Itching gets worse when stressed or tired.
• Digestive problems such as indigestion, constipation, or diarrhea accompany.
• Skin troubles or allergy symptoms existed even before pregnancy.

If 3 or more apply: Itching during pregnancy is suspected. Consider Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's customized gut detox treatment. If 5 or more apply: It may be a stage where symptom management is needed. Visit Songdo Korean Medicine Clinic and prompt professional consultation is recommended.

During pregnancy, it is natural that concerns about treatment come first because even a single small drug must consider its effect on the fetus. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch understands the sensitive situation of pregnant women better than anyone else. Herbal gut detox treatment adheres to the principle of 1-on-1 customized prescription by selecting medicinal herbs that do not affect the fetus so that they can be safely applied even during pregnancy, and closely diagnosing the mother's physical condition. Focusing on unnecessary toxin excretion and gut function improvement, we concentrate on increasing the natural healing power that allows the mother's body to recover on its own. This can help alleviate various discomforts such as indigestion and constipation that may appear during pregnancy as well as skin itching. Songdo Skin Korean Medicine Clinic Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic provides safe and effective herbal medicine treatment so that you can maintain a comfortable and healthy body even during pregnancy.

Q. Does itching during pregnancy naturally improve after childbirth? A. Most itching during pregnancy tends to naturally improve as hormonal changes stabilize after childbirth. However, some may persist even after childbirth or lead to postpartum pruritus, and if you had skin diseases such as atopy before pregnancy, the possibility of recurrence is higher, so steady management is important.

Q. I'm worried if taking herbal medicine might be harmful to the fetus. A. At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, we carefully select and use only herbal medicines with proven safety for pregnant women. Considering the health of the mother and fetus as top priority, we prescribe precisely according to individual constitution and gestational age so you can receive treatment with peace of mind. It must be taken after examination by an experienced Korean medicine doctor.

Q. Itching during pregnancy is so severe that I can't sleep, what should I do? A. Sleep deprivation can aggravate the mother's stress and adversely affect whole-body health. If itching is severe at night, it is recommended to take a lukewarm shower, apply enough moisturizer, and wear comfortable clothes made of cotton material. In addition, reducing the intake of foods that cause itching and starting fundamental treatment through consultation with an experienced Korean medicine doctor will help.

Q. How is Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) different from general itching during pregnancy? A. Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) is a disease caused by poor bile acid excretion from the liver, leading to high bile acid levels in the blood. In particular, itching on the palms and soles is severe and jaundice can accompany, which can be dangerous to the fetus and requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. General itching during pregnancy is mainly caused by hormonal changes or skin dryness and has little direct risk to the fetus. Examination by a medical institution is essential for accurate differentiation.

Itching during pregnancy is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it. You no longer have to ignore the body's signals you have sent for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check symptoms similar to yours first through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website!

Medical Supervision | Skin Disease Treatment Standards, Songdo Branch of Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyun-min (Chronic Skin Disease Column)