STROKE AND PREGNANCY

Objective: To study the controversial relationship between pregnancy a nd stroke. Old studies and those from developing countries suggest tha t pregnancy considerably increases the risk of stroke, Methods: The re cords of 946 consecutive cases of stroke observed in Saudi patients in 10 years were reviewed. Cases which occurred during pregnancy or duri ng the first 15 days postpartum were included in the study. Results: T welve patients (1.3%) were pregnant or in postpartum at stroke onset, They constituted 27% of women of childbearing age, Cerebral infarction was diagnosed in nine cases and cerebral hemorrhage in three. Four pa tients died. Conclusion: The risk of stroke is only marginally increas ed(x 1.5) in pregnant compared with non-pregnant Saudi women, Many fac tors including peripartum cardiomyopathy, patent foramen ovale, change s in clotting factors, peripartum angiopathy and vasoactive steroid ho rmones, could be responsible for this increased risk.