Pregnancy complications and delivery outcomes in pregnant women with severe migraine

Objective

The objective was to study the possible association among maternal migraine during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and the delivery outcomes: sex ratio, gestational age/birth weight and preterm birth/low birth weight.

Study design

The population-based large data set of newborn infants without any defects of the Hungarian Case–Control Surveillance System of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980–1996 was analyzed.

Results

Out of 38,151 newborn infants, 713 (1.9%) had mothers who had severe migraine during pregnancy; 68% were medically recorded. Pregnant women with severe migraine had a higher prevalence of preeclampsia and severe nausea/vomiting, but a lower occurrence of threatened abortion and preterm delivery. However, mean gestational age and birth weight, as well as the proportion of low birth weight and preterm births, were similar in newborn infants born to mothers with or without migraine.

Conclusion

Severe maternal migraine and its related drug treatment may increase the occurrence of preeclampsia and severe nausea/vomiting during pregnancy, but is not associated with unfavorable delivery outcomes.