In Germany, around two million people suffer from psoriasis, better known as psoriasis. When it comes to family planning, they often think hard about it: Does bringing children into the world pose a risk? After all, the autoimmune disease can be passed on to offspring. However, experts give the all-clear.

Itchy, scaly skin, pain, and then the disparaging looks of many fellow human beings – anyone suffering from the symptoms of psoriasis would not wish it on anyone. Especially not their own children.

It is known that the predisposition to the autoimmune disease is inherited. According to the self-help association Deutscher Psoriasis Bund e.V. (German Psoriasis Association ), the likelihood is about (DPB) with 60 to 70 percent, if both the nut/mother and the father possess the plant in addition in their hereditary property. With only one parent it is still 30 percent. However, the disease does not actually break out in every person who carries the genetic predisposition. And if it does, modern medicine now offers very effective treatment options.

Pregnant With Psoriasis

Nevertheless, many people with psoriasis who want to have children are worried. In addition to concerns about heredity, there are other questions: What does pregnancy mean for the therapy? Can the child in the womb be harmed if I continue the therapy?

There is still little research on how psoriasis and pregnancy affect each other. In some patients, the symptoms improve, in others they do not. In general, caution is advised with any drug therapy during pregnancy. Experts advise couples with psoriasis who want to have a child to consult their doctor early on. If necessary, there is enough time to adjust the treatment according to the guidelines in order to protect the unborn child.

Experts agree that there is nothing to be said against pregnancy with psoriasis. On the contrary: as a rule, this positive turn in life and the accompanying mental stability bring about an improvement in the clinical picture. Who is uncertain nevertheless, can exchange itself with Gleichgesinnten – for example in the forums of the Psoriasis net, a Community for humans with Schuppenflechte.

Causes Of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a disease that develops through an interaction of hereditary predisposition and various external influences. The triggers are very different: stress, infections, certain medications, tobacco and alcohol consumption, or mechanical stimuli on the skin can cause psoriasis to break out.

In most cases, chronic inflammatory disease affects the skin. In some cases, nails, joints (psoriatic arthritis), and other organs are also affected. The symptoms are caused by a disturbed immune system that turns against its own body. The consequences are inflammation, which in classic psoriasis leads to excessive proliferation of skin cells. The skin scales and the typical plaques develop.

Modern Therapies Are Increasingly Effective

Psoriasis cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be treated very well nowadays. Depending on the severity, various forms of treatment are used. They range from creams, lotions, and ointments to phototherapy with UV light and medications such as classic anti-inflammatories and novel biologics. In practice, the methods are often combined. Doctors can put together individual therapies that usually effectively alleviate the symptoms and, increasingly often, completely suppress them. Therapy with biologics even leads to an improvement of 90 to 100 percent in moderate to severe cases.