Tori Bowie’s Eclampsia-Related Pregnancy Death 2023

Many women look back on their pregnancies as one of the most memorable times in their lives, despite the fact that they often suffer from a variety of uncomfortable physical symptoms at this time.

But what if this joyful moment becomes a nightmare and takes a fatal turn instead? Tori Bowie, a well-known sprinter who won a gold in the Olympics and went tragically on May 2, found herself in this sad situation before her passing.

The findings of the autopsy indicated that Tori, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death, was suffering from eclampsia. In addition to this, it was stated that the baby she was carrying at the time of her passing was a stillborn.

Tori accomplished a great deal at the Olympic Games in 2016, winning three medals in total: a gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay, a silver medal in the 100-meter race, and a bronze medal in the 200-meter race.

In an interview, Dr. Sarah W. Prager, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, stated that “eclampsia, which follows severe preeclampsia, could happen to anyone, but Black women are more at risk.”

What exactly is eclampsia?

When a woman is pregnant and has high blood pressure, she may be at risk for a medical condition called eclampsia, which can cause seizures.

According to Prager, “Black pregnant people have higher rates of most pregnancy complications, the majority of which can be attributed to racism baked into our medical system, if not all of it altogether.”

The condition known as eclampsia is characterized by symptoms such as high blood pressure, headaches, visual abnormalities, discomfort in the liver, rapid increases in edema, or vomiting.

How can one lessen the chances of developing eclampsia?

To treat eclampsia, clinicians recommend low dosage aspirin.

“If people are at a high risk for preeclampsia at baseline (history of preeclampsia, chronic [hypertension], diabetes, older age, etc.), then using baby aspirin through the pregnancy can help,” Prager added.

“In addition, looking at baseline liver and kidney health to have a comparator for later in pregnancy.”