Olympian Tori Bowie's Official Cause of Death Was Likely Eclampsia—Here's What That Means

Leigh Weingus
·3 min read

In April, Olympian Tori Bowie was found dead in her home in Florida. The 32-year-old Olympic gold medalist was about eight months pregnant at the time of her death, and now an autopsy report indicates that her death was likely caused by childbirth complications due to a condition called eclampsia.

If you've ever been pregnant, you've likely heard of preeclampsia. But what is eclampsia, exactly, and how can you protect yourself from it? Here's everything you need to know.

What Eclampsia Is (and How It Differs from Preeclampsia)

According to Cleveland Clinic, eclampsia is a rare and serious condition that occurs in pregnancy after 20 weeks and is considered a severe form of preeclampsia that causes seizures and can lead to stroke or death.

In other words, eclampsia is simply a more severe form of preeclampsia. "Preeclampsia is a condition that can happen—usually after 20 weeks of pregnancy—in a woman who did not previously have high blood pressure in which new onset high blood pressure presents along with protein in the urine or proteinuria," says Kristin Mallon, CNM, MS, RNC-OB, a certified midwife-nurse, adding that it is possible to have preeclampsia without protein in the urine, but in that case, something else—like bloodwork—will show up abnormal.

Related: 7 Tricks to Tame Your Blood Pressure Quickly

Preeclampsia is a progressive disease, she adds, meaning that if left untreated it can become more serious, which was the case for Bowie. Once it progresses to a certain point, it's called eclampsia, in which case it becomes more dangerous.

Preeclampsia is actually quite common from a risk perspective, affecting about 5 percent of pregnancies. "That's a lot in the OB/GYN world. Risk factors for preeclampsia include having twins, being pregnant for the first time (nulliparity), diabetes, high blood pressure before the pregnancy, history of pre-eclampsia, IVF and obesity."

Related: How to Lower Blood Pressure ASAP With This One Habit

Eclampsia Warning Signs

According to Cleveland Clinic, people usually experience symptoms of preeclampsia before it progresses into eclampsia—and it will hopefully be noticed by your medical provider as well.

The top warning signs of preeclampsia include: 

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Difficulty breathing

  • Headaches

  • Blurred vision

  • Swelling

  • Abdominal pain

  • Difficulty urinating

The top warning signs of eclampsia include:

  • Seizures

  • Losing consciousness

  • Severe distress or confusion

If you notice any of these symptoms later in your pregnancy, be sure to speak to your doctor immediately. They can use a blood test, urine test or creatine test to officially diagnose you.

Related: 25 Best Foods for High Blood Pressure

Eclampsia Treatment

If you are past 37 weeks (which is considered full-term), the treatment for preeclampsia or eclampsia will be to induce delivery, according to Cleveland Clinic. There are other treatment options as well depending on the severity of the case. Those include anticonvulsant medications or magnesium, blood pressure medications to lower blood pressure, and steroids to help the fetus' lungs mature in case an early delivery is necessary.

If left untreated, preeclampsia and eclampsia can result in placental abruption, preterm labor, blood clotting problems, stroke, stillbirth and death of the mother.

If you're pregnant and feel like you're not being properly screened for preeclampsia by your OB/GYN, it's important to advocate for yourself or even consider switching practices.

And, if you're pregnant and experience any of the symptoms described above, be sure to contact your medical provider immediately.

Next up: Gina Rodriguez Details Painful Injury She Sustained During Childbirth

Sources