After a remarkable career in track and field, where she claimed seven Olympic gold medals and 14 world championship titles, Olympic champion Allyson Felix anticipated a smooth pregnancy. “All my life, I’ve taken care of my body; it has been my tool and has never really failed me,” Felix remarked. However, her expectations were shattered when she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia at a routine check-up during her 32nd week of pregnancy.
Pre-eclampsia, a serious complication characterized by high blood pressure and potential organ damage, necessitated immediate hospitalization for Felix. The very next day, she underwent an emergency C-section, and her daughter Camryn was born two months premature, spending her initial month in the neonatal intensive care unit. Until that point, Felix had experienced few alarming symptoms, aside from mild swelling in her feet. “It was terrifying. But our family got to go home,” she recalled.
While Camryn is now a healthy five-year-old, Felix remains acutely aware of the risks associated with pre-eclampsia, particularly following the tragic death of her friend and teammate, Tori Bowie, in April 2023. Bowie, a former world champion and Olympic relay gold medalist, died from complications linked to the same condition at just 32 years old. “It was really devastating,” said Felix, reflecting on the loss of someone she had spent so much time with.
Globally, pre-eclampsia is responsible for more than 70,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal deaths annually. The condition can occur suddenly at any point during pregnancy and even after childbirth, posing significant risks to both mothers and infants. Experts like Ian Wilkinson, a clinical pharmacologist from the University of Cambridge, explain that pregnancy requires the heart to pump 1.5 to two times the normal amount of blood, which can lead to complications if the body struggles to adapt.
Certain women are at higher risk, including those with autoimmune disorders, older mothers, and individuals with a higher body mass index. Researchers have identified that structural racism and disparities in access to healthcare may contribute to the higher rates of severe pre-eclampsia observed in Black women.
Efforts to understand and predict pre-eclampsia continue to evolve. Current diagnostics primarily rely on clinical risk factors, but researchers are exploring innovative methods, such as analyzing specific proteins in the blood that indicate elevated inflammation levels. The recent approval of a diagnostic tool by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration aims to predict severe pre-eclampsia within two weeks for pregnant women displaying signs of hypertension.
Additionally, a groundbreaking approach known as “placenta on-a-chip” is being developed by researchers like Lana McClements at the University of Technology Sydney. This innovative technology uses layers of living placental cells to model early pre-eclampsia processes outside the human body, which could ultimately lead to earlier detection and potential interventions.
As Felix reflects on her own experiences and the challenges many women face, the need for improved understanding and treatment of pre-eclampsia has never been clearer. “We have to do better,” she emphasized, advocating for greater awareness and resources to protect the health of mothers and their babies.
