Pediatrician Dies Due to Postpartum Complications, Emphasizing Racial Disparity in Medical Cases

An Indianapolis pediatrician dies two days after giving birth. She fought hard with every piece of courage, strength, and faith to live.

On October 22, Dr. Chaniece Wallace died just two days after giving birth to her daughter, Charlotte. According to a GoFundMe page, her husband, Anthony Wallace Jr., wrote that their baby came four weeks early thru C-section because doctors said that Dr. Wallace had preeclampsia.

Postpartum Complications

Wallace also noted that his late wife had emergency surgery because she had complications when she gave birth. He explained that Dr. Wallace not only had a ruptured liver, but she also had high blood pressure. Apart from that, her kidneys were not functioning well.

(Photo: Facebook/Indianapolis University School of Medicine Department of Surgery)

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Based on Mayo Clinic, preeclampsia usually begins from week 20 of pregnancy. It is accompanied by increased blood pressure, severe headaches, vision changes, signs of kidney and liver troubles, and pain in the upper part of the abdomen.

If left untreated, it could cause serious complications.

Black Women Have Higher Rates of Preeclampsia

According to the Healthcare Cost Utilization Project report in 2017, Black women have a 60 percent higher chance of developing preeclampsia than White women. It also showed that white women experience less severe conditions than Blacks.

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Data in January from the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that Black women have higher maternal mortality rates than white women. In 2018, roughly 17.4 maternal deaths happened for every 100,000 live births, with 658 women dying.

The researchers noted that Black women have 2.5 times more than white women out of the 658 deaths. They do not know why it is so.

Certain Factors Cause It

Atlanta metro area family medicine physician, Dr. Carmen Echols, believes some factors affect the deaths. She noted that certain health conditions could probably cause why these women die, noting that obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol are a few of the reasons.

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She also said that medical education, cultural bias, and healthcare system discrimination could also be factors. Dr. Echols explained that African American women have less access to healthcare, which prevents them from having better health.

Dr. Wallace used to work as a resident physician at Riley Children's Health Hospital. Wallas wrote on the fundraiser that his late wife had passed her board exams and was interviewing for positions within the country.

In an Instagram post, the IU Riley Peds Residency shared that Dr. Wallace's future impact will surely be expansive. It also noted that the pediatrician died too soon.

The bereaved husband shared that their newborn is doing well while staying in the neonatal intensive care unit. He wrote on the fundraiser that he will always carry her in his heart even though she is not with them physically.

Wallace also wrote that he is grateful to God for letting him have Dr. Wallace for five years. He explained that he would share all the beautiful memories he has of his late wife and daughter.