# Eclampsia (mother)

Condition · id `maternal:eclampsia` · Maternal & Newborn Atlas · release `fc5a600ec7387e71` (public)

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Browse, life stage: Pregnancy; Childbirth; Postpartum  
Browse, care area: Pregnancy conditions  

## In plain language

Eclampsia is when a woman with pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy condition with high blood pressure, has a seizure. It can happen in pregnancy or after the birth. In trials, injected magnesium lowered the risk of these seizures in pre-eclampsia (Magpie) and stopped repeat seizures better than diazepam or phenytoin (Collaborative Eclampsia Trial).

## Technical summary

The severe end of the pre-eclampsia records: a seizure in association with pre-eclampsia, which the Collaborative Eclampsia Trial abstract calls an important cause of maternal mortality. MedlinePlus describes it as pre-eclampsia severe enough to affect brain function and cause seizures or a coma, and describes postpartum eclampsia as a seizure in postpartum pre-eclampsia. Sources: MedlinePlus High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy (fetched 2026-10-14; preeclampsia.html redirects to it) and the Collaborative Eclampsia Trial abstract (1995).

## Connected pages

- Severe form within the hypertensive disorders (existing record): Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (`maternal:hypertensive-disorders-of-pregnancy`)
- Seizures follow pre-eclampsia (existing record): Pre-eclampsia (`maternal:preeclampsia`)
- Filed under this front: Medicines and vaccines (`maternal:front-medicines-and-vaccines`)
- Related to: Warning signs after birth (`maternal:postpartum-warning-signs`)
- Treated by: Magnesium sulfate to prevent and treat eclampsia (`maternal:magnesium-sulfate-eclampsia`) [a claim, not a settled fact; see claim `maternal:claim-collaborative-eclampsia-trial` and its context]
- Investigated in: Magpie trial (magnesium sulfate in pre-eclampsia) (`maternal:magpie-trial`)

## Provenance

Content hash: 4f3377be11072a0118816486eb3df5b858b15ce69fdcec2aa2c55ff47dd9540a
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-14
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-14