Migraines are a recurring headache illness that can afflict people of all ages and genders, including pregnant women. While migraines are not directly linked to pregnancy issues, they do provide some challenges and considerations for pregnant women.
According to a preliminary study released today, February 24, 2022, women with migraines may be at a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as preterm delivery, gestational high blood pressure, and preeclampsia. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 74th Annual Meeting, which will be held in person in Seattle, April 2 to 7, 2022, and virtually, April 24 to 26, 2022.
Researchers also discovered that women who have migraines with aura may be at a little increased risk of preeclampsia than women who do not have migraines with aura. Auras are feelings that occur before to a headache, and are frequently visual disturbances such as flashing lights. Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure together with additional symptoms such as protein in the urine during pregnancy, and it can endanger the mother and baby’s lives.
“Approximately 20% of women of childbearing age suffer from migraine, but the impact of migraine on pregnancy outcomes is unknown,” stated research author Alexandra Purdue-Smithe, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Our large prospective study found links between migraine and pregnancy complications that could help inform doctors and women with migraines of potential risks they should be aware of during pregnancy.”
Our large prospective study found links between migraines and pregnancy complications that could help inform doctors and women with migraines of potential risks they should be aware of during pregnancy.
Alexandra Purdue-Smithe
For the study, researchers looked at more than 30,000 pregnancies in roughly 19,000 women over a 20-year period. Of those pregnancies, 11% of the women reported that they were diagnosed by a doctor with migraine before pregnancy.
Preterm birth, defined as a baby born before 37 weeks gestation, gestational diabetes, gestational high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and low birthweight were all investigated by the researchers.
After controlling for age, obesity, and other behavioral and health factors that could influence the risk of complications, researchers discovered that women with migraine had a 17% higher risk of preterm delivery, a 28% higher risk of gestational high blood pressure, and a 40% higher risk of preeclampsia when compared to women without migraine.
Preterm birth occurred in 10% of the 3,881 pregnancies among migraine women, compared to 8% of pregnancies among migraine women. For gestational hypertension, 7% of migraine-affected pregnancies acquired the disease, compared to 5% of migraine-affected pregnancies. Preeclampsia occurred in 6% of pregnancies among migraine women, compared to 3% of pregnancies among women who did not have migraine.
Furthermore, when migraine with and without aura were compared, women with migraine with aura were 51% more likely to develop preeclampsia during pregnancy than women without migraine, whereas migraine without aura were 29% more probable. Researchers found that migraine was not associated with gestational diabetes or low birthweight.
“While the risks of these complications are still quite low overall, women with a history of migraine should be aware of and consult with their doctor on potential pregnancy risks,” said Purdue-Smithe. “More research is needed to determine exactly why migraine may be associated with higher risks of complications. In the meantime, women with migraines may benefit from closer monitoring during pregnancy so that complications like preeclampsia can be identified and managed as soon as possible.”
Although migraine history was recorded prior to pregnancy, information on migraine aura was not obtained until much later in the study, when many of the pregnancies had ended. As a result, the findings for migraine aura may have been influenced by participants’ ability to recall their experiences accurately. Another issue was the lack of information on migraine attack frequency and other migraine characteristics. More research is needed to overcome these limitations and better explain how pregnant women with a migraine history should be assessed and managed for potential pregnancy problems.
