Research Highlights:
- Female stroke survivors were more than twice as likely as their stroke-free counterparts to have another stroke while pregnant and in the six weeks after childbirth, according to an analysis of a large national database of electronic health records.
- In addition, the risk of ischemic stroke during pregnancy and the early postpartum period was 82% more likely among pregnant women who had a previous heart attack and 25% more likely in women with obesity.
- Note: The study featured in this news release is a research abstract. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary untill published as full manuscripts in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
DALLAS, Jan.29, 2026 – A prior stroke caused by blocked blood vessels more than doubles a woman’s risk of experiencing another stroke during pregnancy and within six weeks of giving birth. This finding, from a preliminary study to be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026, underscores the heightened cardiovascular vulnerability of expectant mothers with a history of stroke. The conference will be held in New Orleans,Feb. 4-6, 2026, and is a leading event for stroke and brain health researchers and clinicians.
“Women often ask whether pregnancy is safe after a previous ischemic stroke,” said study lead author Adnan I. Qureshi, M.D., a professor of neurology at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, and founder of zeenat Qureshi Stroke Institutes.”Our analysis revealed that women face a considerably increased risk of recurrent ischemic stroke during pregnancy and in the six weeks postpartum, irrespective of other risk factors. This information empowers women and their healthcare providers to make more informed decisions about pregnancy risks. Pregnant women who have experienced a stroke require focused care to minimize their chances of another stroke.”
Researchers analyzed electronic health records from hospitals across the U.S. to assess the risk of new ischemic stroke in women ages 15 to 50, both with and without a prior stroke history, who had recently delivered a baby. Stroke rates from 2015 to 2025 were compared between women experiencing a recurrent stroke during pregnancy or the early postpartum period and those with a first-time stroke during the same timeframe.
The analysis revealed:
- Pregnant women with a prior stroke experienced a higher stroke rate than those without: 415 new ischemic strokes among 1,192 pregnant women with a previous stroke (34.82%) compared to 737 new strokes among 219,287 (0.34%) pregnant women without a history of ischemic stroke.
- Among the 1,192 pregnant women with a history of stroke, 415 experienced a new stroke during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth.
- Out of the 219,287 pregnant women without a prior stroke, 737 new strokes occurred during the same period.
- After accounting for demographic and health factors, women with a prior stroke were more than twice as likely to have a second stroke during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period compared to those with no prior stroke.
- The risk of ischemic stroke during pregnancy and the early postpartum period was 82% higher among pregnant women with a previous heart attack and 25% higher in women with obesity.
Jennifer Lewey, M.D., M.P.H., chair of the writing committee of the 2024 American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Opportunities in the Postpartum Period to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk After Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, emphasized the serious consequences of stroke during pregnancy. “Stroke during pregnancy or the early postpartum period can have devastating long-term effects on both the mother and her family,” she said. “This study highlights the need to prevent maternal stroke among those at highest risk. Women with a history of ischemic stroke should receive preconception counseling to discuss stroke risk during pregnanc
