Links to blood clots and high blood pressure found
A U.S. study has found that migraines during pregnancy makes women 15 times more likely to have a stroke, triples the risk of blood clots and doubles the risk of heart disease. Despite the findings by researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, the study published in the British Medical Journal says the overall risk remains low, and women who suffer from migraines shouldn’t be discouraged from having a child. The researchers followed 33,956 pregnancies between 2000 to 2003 and believe the intense headache puts extra stress on the body when it is already stressed over increased blood volume and heart rate. They also suggest that migraines may signal the cardiovascular system is not working as well as it should be. About four pregnant women per 100,000 suffer from a stroke during pregnancy.