Strokes rise among pregnant women, new moms; obesity, high blood pressure may be reasons

Strokes have spiked in the U.S. among pregnant women and new mothers, probably because more of them are obese and suffering from high blood pressure and heart disease, researchers report. Hospitalizations for pregnancy-related strokes and "mini strokes" jumped from about 4,100 in 1994-95 to around 6,300 in 2006-07, a 54 percent increase, researchers said, extrapolating from figures in a large federal database. "That is a very, very alarm-raising statistic that we need to take extremely seriously," said Dr. Olajide Williams, a neurologist at Columbia University and Harlem Hospital and an American Stroke Association spokesman. "We need to be more aggressive in screening these women for these risk factors." - AP