The death of Olympics athlete Tori Bowie is receiving new insight, thanks to an autopsy report that indicates she suffered complications during childbirth.
According to USA Today, the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office report noted that Bowie had a “well-developed fetus,” as the sprinter was reportedly eight months pregnant and in the middle of giving birth when she passed away last month. The medical examiner in Florida determined her cause of death was natural.
Officials said Bowie may have experienced respiratory distress and eclampsia, which causes convulsions after a fast rise in blood pressure during pregnancy.
Tori Bowie of the United States crosses the finish line to win gold in the Women’s 4×100 Meters Final at The London Stadium on Aug. 12, 2017, in London. An autopsy revealed Bowie had passed away from childbirth complications when she was found dead in her home last month. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
“Eclampsia typically occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy. It’s rare and affects less than 3% of people with preeclampsia,” the Cleveland Clinic noted, USA Today reported. “Eclampsia can cause complications during pregnancy and requires emergency medical care.”
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis found that maternal death rates are increasing, with the number of fatalities per 100,000 live births rising from 23.8 to 32.9 in 2021.
The highest mortality rates are found among Black women, who are three times more likely than white women to pass away from a pregnancy-related reason. Rich Black women, in particular, and their babies are twice as likely to die in the year after childbirth than their white counterparts.
The death of Bowie, 32, sent shockwaves through the track and field community after she was found lifeless in her Winter Garden, Florida, home on May 2. Orange County sheriff’s deputies discovered her while carrying out a welfare check after learning that she “had not been seen or heard from in several days.”
Bowie took home three medals from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and by the end of 2017, she had won the women’s 100m and the 4x100m relay world championships.
“We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter, and sister,” her sports agency Icon Management Inc. wrote on Twitter following her death, USA Today reported. “Tori was a champion … a beacon of light that shined so bright! We’re truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends.”
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