Millions of "Downton Abbey" viewers were shocked Sunday night
when one of the show's main characters, Lady Sybil Branson, died
from eclampsia shortly after delivering a daughter. "Although
the fictional TV series represents life in the early 1900s,
women in the United States and elsewhere still die or suffer
terrible outcomes from the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,"
including preeclampsia and eclampsia, the Preeclampsia
Foundation said in a statement issued after the show aired
Sunday night. Here, five things you should know about
preeclampsia and eclampsia: 1. Eclampsia is a serious
complication of preeclampsia. It's characterized by one or more
seizures during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. "In the
developed world, eclampsia is rare and usually treatable if
appropriate intervention is promptly sought," according to the
Preeclampsia Foundation. Left untreated, however, the seizures
can result in coma, brain damage and potentially in maternal or
infant death. Preeclampsia is typically treated wi