Is vitiligo dangerous during pregnancy?

Does vitiligo affect pregnancy?

Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that typically does not produce physical pain or medical complications. However, certain concerns may arise, particularly regarding its implications during pregnancy. Read on to gain a clearer understanding of these issues.

Published on October 31, 2025, updated on October 31, 2025, by Lilia, Scientific Editor — 6 min of reading

Does vitiligo have an impact on pregnancy?

The vitiligo is a skin disorder affecting between 0.5 and 2% of the global population. It manifests as a depigmentation of certain areas of the body, due to an immune system dysfunction leading to the destruction of melanocytes. Melanocytes are involved in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. The causes of vitiligo are diverse, including heredity, stress or even the Koebner phenomenon. If the vitiligo is not dangerous per se, concerns remain about its potential impact on pregnant women and their unborn baby and the possible complications it could cause.

A review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that, among 4,738 pregnant women with vitiligo and 47,380 pregnant women without vitiligo, the rate of miscarriages was slightly higher in those with vitiligo. By contrast, other complications, such as pre-eclampsia or preterm births, appeared less frequent in women with vitiligo than in those without the condition.

Complications	Incidence rate among pregnant women with vitiligo	Incidence rate in pregnant women without vitiligo
Miscarriage	14,7%	12,1%
Pre-eclampsia	1,7%	2,2%
Preterm birth	1,5%	2,4%

Evaluation of the risk of complications during pregnancy in women with vitiligo and those without.

Source: BAE J M. & al. Pregnancy outcomes in patients with vitiligo: A nationwide population-based cohort study from Korea. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2018).

However, these results should be interpreted with caution, as the differences observed between pregnant women with vitiligo and those without the condition are very slight.

Another study employing a similar protocol was conducted by Wang and colleagues. It involved 1,096 pregnant women with vitiligo and 4,384 pregnant women without vitiligo. Results similar to those obtained by other researchers were observed.

Complications	Incidence rate among pregnant women with vitiligo	Incidence rate in pregnant women without vitiligo
Miscarriage	10,7%	8,1%
Pre-eclampsia	1,9%	1,6%
Preterm birth	2,2%	2,0%

Evaluation of the risk of complications during pregnancy in women with vitiligo and those without.

Source: WANG W.-M. & al. Pregnancy outcomes in women with vitiligo: A Taiwanese nationwide cohort study. PLOS One (2021).

Once again, the results should be interpreted with caution, insofar as the observed differences are very small and can hardly be regarded as significant.

Available data therefore do not allow for a definitive conclusion regarding the impact of vitiligo on the occurrence of obstetric complications, and further studies, with larger cohorts and standardised protocols, would be necessary to better evaluate this link.

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Does pregnancy affect the progression of vitiligo?

Pregnancy does not appear to affect the progression of vitiligo.

Most available data suggest that the disease remains stable during pregnancy, without a marked aggravation of depigmented macules or the emergence of new lesions. For instance, one study analysing 186,222 deliveries, including 79 women with vitiligo, found that none experienced disease-related complications or notable progression of the condition. There were no significant differences in obstetric risk factors, delivery characteristics and complications, or birth outcomes. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, as the study did not provide details on the type or severity of the vitiligo or on the treatments that the patients underwent during pregnancy.