For a study, researchers sought to give up-to-date evidence-based advice for the examination and management of primary and secondary headaches during pregnancy and after childbirth. Patients who were pregnant or postpartum had a history of or are having main or new secondary headaches. The guideline was created utilizing an a priori process and a writing team comprised of two obstetrics and gynecologist doctors nominated by the ACOG Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines–Obstetrics and one external subject matter expert. On the basis of established inclusion and exclusion criteria, studies that advanced to the full-text screening stage were evaluated by two writers from the writing team. The quality of the included studies was assessed, and an evidence-to-decision methodology based on GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) was used to evaluate and translate the evidence into recommendation statements.
The Clinical Practice Guideline included recommendations on interventions to prevent primary headaches in people who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding; evaluation for symptomatic patients with primary and secondary headaches during pregnancy; and treatment options for primary and secondary headaches during pregnancy and lactation. Recommendations were categorized based on their strength and the quality of their evidence.
