PREPREGNANCY HEADACHE AND THE WELL-BEING OF MOTHER AND NEWBORN

Women (n=1443) expecting their first child were stud led to examine wh ether prepregnancy headache predicts problems in the well-being of pre gnant women and newborns. Subject collection was based on stratified r andomized cluster sampling. Impairment of health during the first trim ester was more often reported by women with frequent prepregnancy head ache than by nonsufferers. They also made more visits to a doctor and had more pregnancy symptoms during the third trimester. Use of any med ication during the first trimester was also more common in the headach e group. Mental health status was worse, fatigue and depression increa sed during pregnancy more often, and stress and anxiety about delivery were more common in this group. The relationship with spouses worsene d during pregnancy in the headache group and seemed to be predicted by impairment of somatic health during the first trimester and increasin g depression during pregnancy. No statistical differences between grou ps were found in variables measuring the well-being of the newborns. F requent prepregnancy headache proved to be a strong predictor of ill-b eing in pregnant women. This result should find practical applications in the preventive work of maternity health care clinics.