Neurological Complications of Pregnancy

Physiologic alterations during pregnancy create an environment for the occurrence of disease states that are either unique to pregnancy, occur more frequently in pregnancy, or require special management considerations that may be different from the nonpregnancy state. In the realm of cerebrovascular disease, preeclampsia, eclampsia, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, sources of cardiogenic embolization including peripartum cardiomyopathy, cerebral venous thrombosis, pituitary apoplexy, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and special considerations for anticoagulation during pregnancy will be discussed. Management of epilepsy during pregnancy counterbalances maternal freedom from seizures against the potential for major, minor, cognitive, and behavioral fetal deformities. Teratogenic potential of the most common anticonvulsants are described. Considerations for anticonvulsant level monitoring during pregnancy are based upon differences in medication clearance in comparison to the prepregnancy state. The most common neuromuscular disorders of pregnancy are reviewed.