LivingPregnant women with migraines are more likely to suffer...
Living

Pregnant women with migraines are more likely to suffer complications: their pregnancy should be considered high risk

57

Migraines affect more than one in ten people, making them one of the most common neurological disorders. They are mainly characterized by an intense headache located on one side of the head, which appears with other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light.

Researchers have found that it affects three times more women than men, an incidence that increases with pregnancy. A study carried out in Israel concluded that pregnant women who suffer from migraines are more likely to suffer obstetric and postnatal complications than women who do not suffer from this debilitating disorder. The main author points out the importance of these pregnancies being considered risky.

A great study with very valid results

Hormonal changes related to menstruation, menopause and childbirth cause a worsening of migraine activity, something that seems to be confirmed after this study that followed 145,102 pregnant women between 2014-2020: their delivery, medical and obstetric complications in each trimester and use of medications throughout pregnancy.

The research, presented at the 7th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), concluded that pregnant women with migraines had a higher risk of being admitted for high-risk pregnancies.

In addition, they are at significantly higher risk for diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and blood clots. But this disorder, which can become disabling, also affects childbirth, with higher rates of use of epidural anesthesia , although it does not involve more cases of assisted delivery than pregnant women who are not affected by migraines.

They are conclusions of this Israeli investigation that investigated the pregnancy of 12,222 women who experienced migraines, and another 1,576 had migraine with aura or classic; that is, recurring headache along with flashes of light, blind spots, and other vision changes or tingling in the hand or face.

“They should be considered high-risk pregnancies”

Study lead author Nirit Lev, head of the department of Neurology at Meir Medical Center and principal investigator at Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, recommends that “the pregnancies of these women be classified as high-risk pregnancies.” and, therefore, “are treated according to a high-risk protocol.”

This would imply a follow-up and special care is necessary throughout the pregnancy. The current factors that lead to a pregnancy being considered high risk are advanced maternal age, a multiple pregnancy and having had complications in a previous pregnancy.

Also past health problems, such as diabetes, epilepsy, and hypertension, lead women to undergo the high-risk protocol.

“Women with migraines are at higher risk of developing depression during pregnancy and after childbirth.”

Professor Lev recommends “providing a neurological consultation during pregnancy and adequate follow-up support after delivery.”

Via | EurekAlert

Photos | iStock

In Babies and More | Headache in pregnancy: how to relieve it with natural remedies, Discomfort in pregnancy: dizziness, headache and nasal congestion

How much weight did you gain in pregnancy? Why is this a question you...

The issue of weight gain in pregnancy is one that usually generates doubts and, sometimes, controversy. As we have already explained on other occasions, the number of kilos that a woman gains during this stage is different for each one, depending on the type of body, routine and diet.

These are the best hospitals in Spain to give birth: 2022 ranking

When we are in the final stretch of our pregnancy and we think about childbirth, it is normal to feel uncertainty and nervousness, especially if it is our first time. For many women, it is important to know well the hospital where they will give birth, and even to have good references that help them face the moment in a more relaxed and confident way.

I have realized that my mental burden as a mother did not begin after...

A few days ago I reflected on the way in which motherhood has changed my life. All of us who have been through this know that, although we do not all experience it in the same way (the mere fact of giving birth at term or not can make a huge difference), exhaustion and mental load is a common denominator that identify them all. But when does that mental load really start?

She discovers that she is pregnant thanks to her Apple Watch, is it the...

The Apple Watch, or any smart watch, has multiple functions that help us on a daily basis, and some of them are related to health, such as heart rate measurement, which also allows us to keep track of the last few days .

Baby movements during pregnancy: why it is important to count them and the best...

During pregnancy, it is important that we take into account certain things that help us know if everything is going as it should. Of course, the best way to do this is by going to prenatal appointments.

More