Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Although stroke in pregnancy is uncommon, the risk of stroke is increased during pregnancy and puerperium, and considered a major contributor to the serious morbidity and mortality of pregnancy
OBJECTIVE:
This study had been designed to find the frequency of stroke in relation to different periods of pregnancy and puerperium, to assess the effect of variable risk factors and their association with stroke and to verify which type of stroke is more frequent among pregnant ladies
METHODS :
This is a cross sectional study that enrolled 30 pregnant patients who had stroke either during pregnancy or puerperium and being admitted to the Neurology words of Al-Yarmouk, Baghdad and Al-kadhemia teaching hospitals during the period from the 1st of January, 2001, to the 31st of December, 2002. All of the patients, who had been included in this study, had been subjected to detailed history, physical and neurological examinations and investigations.
RESULTS:
19 patients (63.3%) of the sample included in this study acquired stroke during pregnancy while 11 patients (36.3%) had developed stroke during puerperium. 2/3rd of the sample had ischemic stroke. Impaired consciousness was the commonest presenting symptom with a frequency of 50% of the sample, cerebellar signs were the least observed signs, in the other hand; all of the patient included in this study had motor dysfunction during the disease course. 53.3% of the sample was hypertensive 6.7 % was diabetic, while 36.7% of them had no significant past medical history. Oral contraceptive pills had been used by 50% of the sample, 2/3rd of those using oral contraceptive pills had ischemic stroke. 63.3% of the sample had cesarean delivery, 50% of the sample had history of abortion, 60% of whom had positive history of recurrent abortion.
CONCLUSION:
This study revealed that most of stroke happened during the 3rd trimester and early weeks of puerperium. Being hypertensive, whether pregnant related or not, is the most important risk factor, in addition, other recognized risk factors included diabetes mellitus and use of oral contraceptive pills.