When the Sun Burns

Risks, Prevention and Treatment of Sunburn During Pregnancy

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Sun exposure should be a concern for everyone, but what if your stomach is increasing at the same time as the temperatures? What are the risks, how do you prevent it and how do you treat sunburn during pregnancy?

"Pregnancy neither predisposes you nor protects you from a sunburn," says Dr. Kjersti Aagaard-Tillery, assistant professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. It is often stated, however, that pregnant women are more sensitive to the sun.

Because pregnant women have a higher circulating blood volume, they are more prone to the effects of heat and can experience dehydration with less sun, in shorter time and at cooler temperatures, than when they are not pregnant, Dr. Aagaard-Tillery says. Additionally, there are some concerns from limited studies that suggest that women who are exposed to extremes of heat in their first three months of pregnancy may be at risk for delivering babies with lower birth weight.

Pregnant women also have increased water content in their skin secondary to the rising levels of the hormone estradiol, says Dr. Robert Greene, medical director at Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Sacramento, Calif., who writes about skin during pregnancy in his book Perfect Hormone Balance for Pregnancy (Crown Publishing Group, 2007). Sunburn further increases water content to the skin, which can increase the risk of dehydration.

Dehydration is a risk in itself, as it can lead to nausea and vomiting, dizziness and falls, and is frequently associated with preterm contractions or preterm labor, Dr. Aagaard-Tillery says.

Want to see more?

• When Sunshine Doesn't Make Baby Happy: Treating and Comforting a Sunburned Little One
• Sun Shy: Understanding and Preventing Melanoma
• Mulling Over Melasma: When Pregnancy Increases Skin Pigmentation
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