The number of expectant women who were hospitalized because of pregnancy-related strokes in New York and elsewhere saw an increase of nearly 50 percent from 1994 to 2007.  It's a concerning trend as the fight to reduce the risk of birth injuries in New York. During the same time, the percentage of new mothers who suffered from a stroke in the three months after delivery increased by more than 80 percent.  During that decade, the total number of hospitalizations for stroke increased by more than 50 percent, according to Time Healthland.

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"It's a little alarming," says lead study author Elena Kuklina. "It reminds us we should strive to take good care [of ourselves] before and during pregnancy."

Our New York City birth injury lawyers recognize that while stroke is a rare condition for women, pregnancy and child birth can substantially increase the risk -- especially when complicating factors are not properly managed.

More and more physicians are noticing a reoccurring trend.  They're noticing that women who have high blood pressure and those who are obese are at an increased risk for experiencing a stroke during pregnancy.

Pre-eclampsia is another condition that pregnant mothers should be concerned about.  This is a condition that causes stillbirths, premature births, low-birth-weight babies and sometimes even death of the mother. Again, proper management by the medical team is critical when it comes to preventing New York birth injuries.

According to doctors, overweight women who get pregnant are at a higher risk of stroke because obesity is a precursor to high blood pressure.  Most obese pregnant women were already overweight before they conceived.

Extra weight during a pregnancy oftentimes worsens the risks and dangers that to-be mothers face.

In many cases, pregnancy exacerbates genetic health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  Statistics show that women nowadays weigh an average of 50 pounds more than their mothers did when they were pregnant.

Kuklina's research looked at hospital discharge data regarding six types of stroke, including subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, cerebral venous thrombosis and unspecified stroke.

During 2006 and 2007, more women than ever were hospitalized for stroke and high blood pressure after delivery compared to previous statistics.  As a matter of fact, heart disease and high blood pressure accounted for nearly 100 percent of the increased risk of hospitalization for stroke after birth.

It remains unclear whether or not pregnancy alone has the ability to increase the chance of stroke risk in average weight women without other risk factors.

"There is not enough information currently ... to say that healthy pregnancy by itself will increase the risk of complication," Kuklina says.

Here are some recommendations that can help to prevent health problems commonly associated with stroke:

-Don't smoke.

-Maintain a healthy weight.

-Eat a low-sodium, high-fiber, low-fat diet.

-Stay physically active.