Bump beauty: sunburn in pregnancy

Among the many changes pregnancy brings is one not all women are aware of – greater sensitivity to the sun. The dramatic hormonal changes you undergo, including increased levels of oestrogen and melanin-stimulating hormones, can not only lead to melasma (discoloured skin patches or freckles, the ‘mask of pregnancy’), but make your skin more prone to irritation, hyperpigmentation and painful burns after even a short time in the sun.

Sunburn always carries a risk of future skin cancers and premature ageing: “UV exposure at an early age causes unseen DNA damage which manifests later as cell mutations and later onset skin cancers,” says Dr Imraan Jhetam, a specialist dermatologist with rooms in Umhlanga and Ballito But when you are pregnant there are other risks too:

• Overheating: A raised core body temperature can lead to serious complications for you and baby, and when your body is already working overtime to support you both, it may struggle to cool you down.

• Dehydration: Sunburnt skin loses fluids which can lead to dehydration, especially in pregnancy, when you tend to pee more and sweat more. “Pregnancy significantly increases fluid needs for extra blood, amniotic fluid and the placenta,” says Dr Jhetam. Dehydration can contribute to heat stroke and is serious in its own right. The American Pregnancy Association notes that it can lead to neural tube defects, low amniotic fluid, even premature labour, which in turn can lead to birth defects due to lack of water and nutritional support for your baby.

• Discomfort: Sunburn increases skin sensitivity and with severe sunburn you can experience skin welts, rashes or blisters, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and intense headaches. Contact your healthcare provider immediately and follow their advice. “Sunburn is just like any thermal injury on the skin,” says Dr Jhetam.

What to do if you do get sunburned while pregnant

If you have inadvertently spent too long in the sun and are burnt, relieve the effects in ways that will not harm your baby:

• Drink plenty of fluids, preferably plain cool water.

• Take a cool (not cold) bath with oatmeal or baking soda or stand under a cool shower.

• Ask your healthcare provider about taking a pain reliever that is safe during pregnancy, such as paracetamol. Avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin or ibuprofen which can harm the baby. 

• Apply compresses of cool, clean damp cloths to the burn areas. Avoid topical treatments with numbing agents, which can cause skin irritation or allergic reaction and worsen the condition of damaged skin, Dr Jhetam says. 

• Apply a gentle, fragrance-free, pregnancy-safe moisturiser with ingredients such as aloe vera or coconut oil to counter skin dehydration. “I tell patients to keep the aloe vera in the fridge to keep it cool and this makes it extra soothing. Also, creams with 1% menthol are good.”

Tips to prevent sunburn in pregnancy

The best defence against sunburn is not to get it:

• Stay out of the sun between 10am and 4pm.

• Wear loose-fitting lightweight clothing with long sleeves, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.  

• Apply a high SPF factor pregnancy-safe sunscreen that is mineral-based, not chemical, with the likes of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which is less irritating, Dr Jhetam says. It creates a physical barrier on your skin to reflect the sun’s UV rays and is not absorbed into the bloodstream where it may affect your baby. Reapply every two hours and immediately after swimming or sweating.

• Take water wherever you go and keep sipping as thirst dictates.

While sunburn is dangerous, don’t let pregnancy keep you from getting outdoors and enjoying a little sun – it’s a great natural way to get vitamin D, which is crucial for both maternal health and foetal development. The trick is to take sensible precautions and not overdo it, Dr Jhetam says: “Short 5-10 minute spells of sunlight once or twice week on back and tummy, but not the face, due to pigmentation risk.”

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