Mothers-to-be warned that headaches may hide risks

Pregnant women are being warned that headaches could be "masking" serious underlying health conditions.

Kirsty Revell, a specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton, Hampshire, said 90% of headaches experienced by mothers-to-be were a result of migraine or tension and usually improved or stopped during the last six months of pregnancy.

However, a small percentage were caused by potentially life-threatening neurological conditions — the third most common cause of death among pregnant women.