Daily AncestorPuerperal convulsions
Puerperal convulsions were seizures in a woman late in pregnancy, during labor or just after childbirth, the condition now called eclampsia.
Eclampsia grows out of pre-eclampsia, a disorder of pregnancy with high blood pressure and swelling. It brings seizures and can lead to coma and death of the mother, the baby or both.
Puerperal means connected with childbirth. A young mother who died of puerperal convulsions may be buried with her newborn, so check the burial register for an infant on the same day.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Mary Hess, 22, F, W, March, Puerperal convulsions
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Daily Ancestor. "Puerperal convulsions." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/puerperal-convulsions. Last checked 2026-10-01.