Exacerbation of Headache by Lifestyle Changes Common to Pregnancy: Is Pregnancy Bound to Worsen Neurological Conditions?

This Medfyle was published more than two years ago. More recent Medfyle on this topic may now be available.

Key messages

• This analysis determined the prevalence of primary headache disorders among pregnant women seeking care in a women’s neurology clinic, and investigated if and how frequently key lifestyle factors were inquired about or addressed in pregnancy-related visits.
• Headache constitutes a major complaint and is the most common disorder of the nervous system, found to be prevalent in 74% of overall women in our study and constituting 51% of the reason for scheduling a visit during pregnancy.
• Among pregnant women actively seeking care for headache plus another neurological chief complaint, 86% had at least one lifestyle factor was reportedly worsened; identification and counseling these lifestyle factors was suboptimal, as even though these factors are potentially modifiable, only 50%-62% of pregnant women who actively sought care for headaches were inquired about lifestyle changes commonly experienced in pregnancy.