What is eclampsia?

• A. Seizures that occur during a woman's pregnancy
• B. Seizures that occur after birth
• C. Seizures that occur during a woman's pregnancy with no maternal risk
• D. Seizures that occur during a woman's pregnancy or shortly after giving birth

Answer: (D)

Eclampsia is a serious condition in pregnancy defined by new-onset seizures that occur in a woman with preeclampsia. These seizures can happen after 20 weeks of gestation and may also occur in the immediate postpartum period. That broader time frame—during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth—best fits how eclampsia presents, since seizures are tied to the presence of preeclampsia and can occur before, during, or after delivery. The other options are incomplete because a seizure can occur in the postpartum period (not just during pregnancy), and eclampsia involves maternal risk in the context of preeclampsia, not in a scenario with no risk.