Pregnant mother who survived a stroke to have a healthy baby girl wants people to know the warning signs - WFAA.com

“I remember seeing the doctor reading my cat scan and his face said it all.

“When I tell people, their jaws drop because they’re surprised a stroke happened to someone so young,” she said.

Robin Novakovic-White, associate professor of radiology and neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says 10 to 15% of all strokes occur in people under the age of 44.

“A reason why I think people miss it is there’s often no pain associated with it,” Novakovic-White said.

They use the acronym BE FAST – Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech and Time – as a reminder.

Novakovic-White said loss of balance or dizziness, loss of vision, a drooping face, numbness in an arm, and slurred speech are important warning signs to act on.

In fact, it's the fourth leading cause of death in women and pregnancy-related conditions such as high blood pressure or gestational diabetes increase a woman’s risk.

“About 80% of strokes and heart disease could actually be prevented if people are controlling their blood pressure,” Novakovic-White said.

“She knows mommy had an injury and when the time is right, we’ll tell her everything,” she said.