This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Scabies and pregnancy

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Considering treatment options for scabies: (1) (2)

  • permethrin 5% cream - anecdotal evidence suggests that permethrin 5% cream can be used safely in pregnancy and breast-feeding women (however there is a lack of data to confirm this). According to the company, "any risk to the foetus following treatment of the mother with permethrin 5% cream is minimal"
  • malathion 0.5% liquid - this is not contraindicated in pregnancy or breast-feeding women
  • benzyl benzoate - there is a lack of safety data but according to the company, the preparation has been widely used by pregnant women "for many years without apparent ill consequence". After application of treatment breast-feeding should be suspended, but may be restarted once the emulsion has been washed off the body
  • ivermectin - this drug is contraindicated in pregnancy and breast-feeding women

Prior to breastfeeding liquid or cream should be removed from the nipple area and reapply after feeding.

Reference:

  • 1. UK Teratology Information Service. Treatment of scabies in pregnancy: August 2023, Version: 4
  • 2. Patel V. et al. Safety of Topical Medications for Scabies and Lice in Pregnancy. Indian J Dermatology. 2016 Nov-Dec; 61(6): 583–587.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.