Data from the large prospective Nurses′ Health Study II revealed that women with a history of migraine had a greater risk of pregnancy problems.

The researchers observed that 11% of 30,555 pregnancies among women in the longitudinal Nurses′ Health Study II from 1989 to 2009 had pre-pregnancy migraine. Risks of preterm delivery (relative risk [RR] 1.17, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.05-1.30), gestational hypertension (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.11-1.48), and preeclampsia (RR 1.40, 95% CI 1.19-1.65) were more among women with pre-pregnancy migraine compared to women without pre-pregnancy migraine. Also, the risk of preeclampsia was comparatively more among women with migraine with aura (RR=1.51; 95% CI=1.22-1.88) than those with migraine without aura (RR=1.29; 95% CI=1.04-1.61).

Low birth weight (RR 0.99, 95 percent CI 0.85-1.16) or gestational diabetes were not linked to pre-pregnancy migraine (RR 1.05, 95 percent CI 0.91-1.22). Chances of risk of developing other adverse pregnancy outcomes were not affected by aura phenotype.

The study concluded that pre-pregnancy migraine was linked to a higher risk of preterm delivery, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia. Migraine history and phenotype could serve as crucial factors in assessing and managing obstetric risk. The findings were presented at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology meeting. (MedPage Today April 25, 2022); American Academy of Neurology, 2022.