[Sunscreens: use in pregnant women at Casablanca]

Photoprotection with sunscreens is recommended in hyperpigmentation, particularly in pregnancy-related form. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of sunscreens in pregnant women and to determine whether melasma was correlated to sunscreen use.

Four hundred and fifteen pregnant women were surveyed by a standardized questionnaire on the presence of melasma and their use of sunscreens. The study took place in Casablanca, Morocco, in two public maternity hospitals and two private gynaecologic centres, from April 1999 to July 1999, during antenatal consultations.

The mean age of the 415 pregnant women was 29 +/- 6 years. One hundred and fifty-one women (37 p. 100) had a melasma and 72 (17 p. 100) used a sunscreen at their inclusion in the study. Women with melasma used sunscreens in 18.8 p. 100 and the others in 16.6 p. 100. Users of sunscreens differed from non-users in their higher level of instruction, professional activity, presentation in private practice and of urban origin.

This study showed a low incidence of sunscreen use in our population of pregnant women. Melasma wasn't a reason for using sunscreens. However, access to medical information, especially to photoprotection advice, and the financial possibility of buying the product led to larger use of sunscreens. Up to now no study has confirmed that sunscreens can prevent melasma in dark phototype women with pregnancy. It would therefore be difficult to recommend them to pregnant women.