Psoriasis treatments during conception, pregnancy and nursing
Many doctors recommend that women avoid psoriasis treatments altogether or use only the safest forms of treatments—some topicals and ultraviolet light B (UVB) phototherapy—during conception, pregnancy and nursing, to avoid the possibility of birth defects. Men have to consider how some psoriasis treatments can affect fertility and/or cause birth defects. Each psoriasis medication has a different set of precautions.
When pregnancies are planned, women may want to time their treatments so that only minimal treatment is required during pregnancy. For example, a woman who experiences remissions that average one year following a course of PUVA (the light-sensitizing drug psoralen plus ultraviolet light A) can plan to finish PUVA just before attempting conception.
When a mother chooses to nurse, treatment precautions are needed. Topical medications should not be used on the nipples. Also, there is a slight chance that some drugs will absorb through the skin and get into the mother's milk. This is especially true if any large areas of the skin are covered with medications. Work closely with your doctor to determine what is an acceptable topical treatment while nursing.
If a mother has psoriasis on her nipples, it is important to moisturize the nipples with thick emollients or moisturizers. Psoriasis on the nipple will not harm a nursing infant. However, it may cause enough discomfort to the mother to make breast-feeding difficult.
Systemic medications (drugs taken orally or by injection) should be avoided when nursing because of the potential for passing the drugs' active ingredients to the infant through the breast milk.
Detailed treatment information
 Table: Treatments and pregnancy categories
Topical medications
Phototherapy
Systemic treatments
Pregnancy registries
Some pharmaceutical companies maintain pregnancy registries to track women who are on a drug while pregnant. If you get pregnant while on one of the medications listed below, either you or your doctor can call the company to add your name and information to its database. The Psoriasis Foundation is aware of the following pregnancy registries:
Generic Name |
Brand Name |
Contact Number |
| Adalimumab |
Humira |
877.311.8972 |
| Alefacept |
Amevive |
800.811.0104 |
| Cyclosporine |
Neoral |
888.522.5581 |
| Efalizumab |
Raptiva |
877.727.8482 |
| Etanercept |
Enbrel |
877.311.8972 |
| Infliximab |
Remicade |
800.457.6399 |
Another resource is the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), which provides up-to-date information about medications taken during pregnancy.
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Updated June 2006
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