A new study suggests that women who suffer from migraine headaches prior to becoming pregnant may be at greater risk for pregnancy complications that could endanger their health or that of their unborn child.
The Harvard-led research, which was published online by Neurology on January 19, 2023, analysed 20 years' worth of data from Nurses Health Research II, which included 30,555 pregnancies among 19,694 nurses in the United States. The number of women who reported being diagnosed with migraine, as well as the form of migraine, were evaluated by the researchers. In addition, participants reported whether they had experienced medical complications during pregnancy.
Women diagnosed with migraines before pregnancy were 17% more likely to report preterm delivery, 28% more likely to have high blood pressure during pregnancy, and 40% more likely to have pre-eclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition involving high blood pressure and organ damage.
The results suggest that women with migraines may benefit from increased monitoring during pregnancy to prevent complications, according to the study authors.
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