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Dr. Hardeman and Ms. Polston converse at Roots Community Birth Center. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Dr. Hardeman and Ms. Polston converse at Roots Community Birth Center. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
What are the researchers doing?
Hardeman and her team are linking nationwide data about violent police encounters with birth records to assess whether incidents of police violence across the United States are associated with greater risk of pre-term birth and low birth weight among Black women. They are examining what Hardeman calls “the George Floyd effect” — whether conception or birth near the location of a traumatic killing and subsequent unrest affects the health of newborn babies.
Hardeman is also examining how the exposure of pregnant women to police violence intersects with the COVID-19 pandemic in affecting birth outcomes. She is using surveys that ask respondents to report the stress they are feeling from the pandemic — including their own illness, sickness of a loved one, or economic fallout of the pandemic — and from witnessing, experiencing, or being close to police violence. Respondents are asked to report pregnancy complications, maternal health issues, and the health of their newborns.
In-depth interviews with more than two dozen Black women from the community where Floyd was killed are providing valuable insights into how COVID-19 and the highly publicized death of Floyd have affected their lives, their health, and the health of their babies.
Why is this research important?
The health of mothers and babies can shed light on how the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent challenge of police violence have played out in the lives of Black people. Hardeman hopes the results of her study will improve understanding of how the pandemic, police violence, and structural racism are contributing to inequities in the health of Black mothers and babies and highlight issues that require immediate attention and reform. Her ultimate goal is to close the racial gap in birth outcomes. “This is about a healthy start to life,” she said.
Where can I go to learn more?
Racism, Violence, COVID-19, and Public Health
Community Events and Pathways to Inequities in Birth Outcomes
Anti-Black Violence Is Associated with Poor Mental Health for Black Americans
Accelerating Research to Prevent Maternal Morbidity and Mortality (MMM)
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An initiative from NICHD supports research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy.
Sources
American Medical Association. (2020). AMA Policy Recognizes Police Brutality as Product of Structural Racism. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-policy-recognizes-police-brutality-product-structural-racism
Artiga, S., Pham, O., Orgera, K., & Ranji, U. (2020). Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: An Overview. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/report-section/racial-disparities-in-maternal-and-infant-health-an-overview-issue-brief/
Bor, J., Venkataramani, A. S., Williams, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. Police killings and their spillover effects on the mental health of black Americans: a population-based, quasi-experimental study. The Lancet, 392(10144), 302–310. https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS0140-6736(18)31130-9
Hardeman, R. R., Chantarat, T, Smith, M. L., Karbeah, J., Van Riper, D. C., & Mendez, D. D. (2021). Association of residence in high-police contact neighborhoods with preterm birth among Black and White individuals in Minneapolis. JAMA Network Open, 4(12), e2130290. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.30290
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. (2021). Racial Disparities in Maternal Health. Retrieved from https://www.usccr.gov/files/2021/09-15-Racial-Disparities-in-Maternal-Health.pdf
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