Risk of preeclampsia in relation to maternal history of migraine headaches

Abstract

Objective. We examined the relationship between migraines and preeclampsia risk.

Study design. Cases were 244 women with preeclampsia and controls were 470 normotensive women. Women were asked if a physician had ever told them that they had migraines. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.

Results. A history of migraines was associated with a 1.8-fold increased risk of preeclampsia (95% CI 1.1–2.7). Women who were 30+ years old when diagnosed with migraines had the highest risk (OR 2.8, 95% CI 0.8–9.0). The migraine–preeclampsia association appeared to be modified by pre-pregnancy overweight status (p = 0.06). Overweight migrainous women, compared with lean nonmigrainous women, had a 12-fold increased preeclampsia risk (95% CI 5.9–25.7).

Conclusion. Our findings are consistent with reports from six of eight previous studies on the topic. Nevertheless, prospective cohort studies are needed to further evaluate the extent to which migraines and/or its treatments are associated with preeclampsia risk.

Keywords:

• Headaches
• migraines
• preeclampsia
• pregnancy