There are many additional health risks to having a baby. Let’s have a look at the association of migraines during pregnancy and the increase in risk to you and your baby.

A new study in the United States linked migraines while pregnant with an increased risk of having a stroke. The study found that it was in fact 15 times more likely than non pregnant women. We should point out that the British Medical Journal has additionally stated that the overall risk is low.

More than thirty three thousand women, who were pregnant and suffering from migraines, were used to provide the information.

Age has been found to be a contributing factor, as a woman above 40 is almost two and a half times more likely to suffer from migraines during her pregnancy than a woman who is under twenty. A white woman will have more migraines than a woman of another race or ethnicity.

There has also been a connection between migraines and an increase in heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, blood clots and high cholesterol. It has been suggested that the migraine indicates that there may be problems with the cardiovascular system.

The authors suggest that the most logical explanation for the findings lies in the interaction between migraines and the normal physiological changes during pregnancy (such as increased blood volume and heart rate) which put extra stress on the vascular system.

Past research has indicated that the cells that form the inner wall of blood vessels (endothelial cells), may not operate as well in people who suffer from migraines during pregnancy.

The findings continue to solidify the belief that migraines, and especially those with an aura or visual change at the same time, are linked to women also suffering heart disease and strokes.