Q: My wife is 27 yrs old, now 8 months and 10 days pregnant. From last 10 days rashes started coming around her stomach. Initially we thought them to be stretch marks, but later they started spreading fast across the body. They are reddish structures and itch a lot. What are these? Are they some kind of allergy and whats the solution?

A:The itchy rash (if they are not stretch marks) on the abdomen of your pregnant wife could be due to 1. pregnancy itself - this usually resolves spontaneously after childbirth, 2. one of the medicines she might be taking. Sometimes it may even be due to preservatives, etc in the vitamin preparation, or 3. any other skin problem which can occur in a non-pregnant person. A Clinical examination is necessary to differentiate between the above possibilities. The line of management would vary accordingly.