Pregnancy-Associated Stroke and Outcomes Related to Timing and Hypertensive Disorders

Abstract

(Obstet Gynecol. 2023;142:393–401) Pregnancy-associated stroke has been occurring with increasing frequency in recent years, both antepartum and postpartum. It is associated with a high rate of maternal mortality along with a short-term morbidity of seizures, infections, mechanical ventilation, and venous thromboembolism. There is also a recorded association of stroke during pregnancy with fetal morbidity. Research is lacking, however, in powerful statistics; most studies up to this point have been limited by a very small sample size or a focus on specific risk groups, age groups, or epidemiology. This study was designed to address these shortcomings by assessing the temporal trend of pregnancy-associated stroke between 2016 and 2019, the relationship between timing of stroke (antepartum or postpartum) and adverse outcomes, and the relationship between hypertensive disorders and adverse outcomes.