Neurological Outcomes Worsen With Gestational HTN, Preeclampsia, Eclampsia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2024 -- Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia are associated with an increased risk for neurological outcomes in the months or years after giving birth, according to a study published online Dec. 23 in JAMA Neurology.
Therese Friis, M.D., from Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues examined whether gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia are associated with new-onset migraine, headache, epilepsy, sleep disorder, or mental fatigue within months to years after giving birth in a register-based cohort study. A total of 659,188 primiparous women with singleton pregnancies between 2005 and 2018 were identified through the Swedish Medical Birth Register; the final study population included 648,385 women.
The researchers found that compared with women with normotensive pregnancies, women with gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia all had an association with an increased risk for a new-onset neurological disorder (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.27, 1.32, and 1.70, respectively). On examination of individual outcomes, the risk for epilepsy was increased more than fivefold for women with eclampsia (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.31).
"Our findings warrant further investigations of neurological complications after gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia," the authors write. "They also highlight the need for follow-up regarding neurological disorders in women affected by these pregnancy complications."
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Gut Microbiota Composition Differs for Those With, Without Gestational Diabetes
TUESDAY, July 8, 2025 -- Fecal microbiota analysis of pregnant women may provide early identification of those at risk for gestational diabetes, according to a study published...
Planned C-Section May Be Tied to Increased Risk for Leukemia in Offspring
MONDAY, July 7, 2025 -- Children born by planned cesarean section (CS) may have an elevated risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is driven by B-cell precursor ALL...
Long-Term Stroke Risk Higher for Women With Pregnancy Complications
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Women who experience five major adverse pregnancy outcomes have a higher long-term stroke risk, according to a study published online June 23 in the...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.