Pre-eclampsia remains the most common serious medical disorder of human pregnancy, complicating 3–4% of pregnancies worldwide1, 2. It is a leading cause of maternal mortality, with around 12% of such deaths being attributable to this condition and its complications3. Neurological events, such as intracranial hemorrhage and eclampsia (the pathognomonic convulsive endpoint of pre-eclampsia), are some of the more frequent means by which pre-eclampsia kills mothers4, along with hepatic rupture and acute pulmonary edema. In addition to mortality, pre-eclampsia is associated with significant short- and long-term maternal morbidity5. Similarly, the neurological sequelae of this condition are responsible for a significant proportion of this morbidity6, and include visual impairment, permanent neurological deficits after stroke and cognitive impairment in later life7, 8.