eclampsia

American  

[ih-klamp-see-uh] / ɪˈklæmp si ə /

noun

Pathology.

1. a form of toxemia of pregnancy, characterized by albuminuria, hypertension, and convulsions.

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eclampsia British  

/ ɪˈklæmpsɪə /

noun

1. pathol a toxic condition of unknown cause that sometimes develops in the last three months of pregnancy, characterized by high blood pressure, abnormal weight gain and convulsions Compare pre-eclampsia

2. another name for milk fever (in cattle)

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Other Word Forms

• eclamptic adjective

Etymology

Origin of eclampsia

1855–60; < New Latin < Greek éklamps ( is ) sudden development ( ek- ec- + lámp ( ein ) to shine + -sis -sis + -ia -ia

Compare meaning

How does eclampsia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• preeclampsia vs. eclampsia

Example Sentences

If the death certificate lists a pregnancy-related cause such as eclampsia or bleeding, it is counted as a maternal death.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 18, 2024

Research has shown that young teens have a greater risk of developing postpartum blood loss and eclampsia, a condition marked by seizures and high blood pressure.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2024

The rates of HDP, which include preeclampsia, eclampsia, and gestational hypertension, more than doubled between 2007-2019 in the U.S., with Hispanic/Latina women having the highest rate of over 60 cases per 1000 live births.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023

It said she was found in bed in a “secured residence” with possible complications including respiratory distress and eclampsia.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 13, 2023

Vomiting is, however, a convulsion, and is thus the simplest form of a kind of manifestation—to which the heightened nervous tension of pregnancy easily lends itself—that finds its extreme pathological form in eclampsia.

From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 5 Erotic Symbolism; The Mechanism of Detumescence; The Psychic State in Pregnancy by Ellis, Havelock