(Sandee LaMotte/CNN News) — American track and field champion Tori Bowie, who won gold, silver and bronze medals in the 2016 Olympic Games, died of pregnancy complications that may have included eclampsia, according to an autopsy report. Bowie was found dead in her bed May 2 while approximately eight months pregnant.
Eclampsia, which is characterized by one or more seizures during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, develops from preeclampsia, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Preeclampsia occurs when pregnant women with normal blood pressure suddenly develop high blood pressure, protein in their urine and other complications after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the CDC said.
“You are at an increased risk if you’re Black, if you are overweight, or if you have underlying health conditions. But it can develop in anyone, including someone who’s thin and super healthy,” said Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins, a maternal health advocate and obstetrician-gynecologist in Richmond, Virginia. (…)