A Holistic Approach to Treatment of Rosacea During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Authors

Emily Garelick, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Margaret Hurley, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Lauren Noto-Bell, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic MedicineFollow
Stefanie Cubelli

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Background: Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that is commonly exacerbated during pregnancy. Many patients suffer from emotional distress as a result of their rosacea, but the standard treatment options can cause harm to a developing fetus.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted on PubMed and EMBASE using the keywords “rosacea,” “pregnancy,” “treatment,” “holistic,” “edema, and “osteopathic manipulative treatment” (OMT). 113 papers were extracted and screened to determine eligibility based on inclusion criteria: primary sources, rosacea diagnosis, and documented treatment. Those that did not meet criteria were excluded and 20 papers remained for this review.

Results: The 20 included sources had a total of 230 participants who presented with rosacea fulminans (RF) or rosacea-associated edema. Treatment options included antibiotics, steroids, topical antiseptic, wet compresses, and OMT. Of the patients who were pregnant, complications included ocular perforation, corneal transplant, fetal arrhythmia, oligohydramnios, and intrauterine death. Some patients even elected for termination of pregnancy due to rosacea-related anxiety and depression.

Discussion: The emotional distress that these patients faced and physical harm to their babies confirms the need for a holistic approach to treating rosacea during pregnancy. An expected limitation is that some of these complications may be the result of chance, while others may have been due to medications used. It was concluded that pregnancy-safe antibiotics or low-dose topical steroids in combination with OMT or holistic management would be the most effective approach.

Publication Title

SKIN: Journal of Cutaneous Medicine

Volume

9

Issue

4

Comments

This article was published in SKIN: Journal of Cutaneous Medicine, Volume 9, Issue 4.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.25251/c0949211.

Copyright © 2025 the authors. CC BY 4.0.

Recommended Citation

Garelick, Emily; Hurley, Margaret; Noto-Bell, Lauren; and Cubelli, Stefanie, "A Holistic Approach to Treatment of Rosacea During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review" (2025). PCOM Scholarly Works. 2335.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/scholarly_papers/2335 DOI: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25251/c0949211