Grace Biermann, MPH, of Sanford Research will present new findings from our collaboration with Dr. Anna Strahm’s lab at two Sanford pediatric research meetings in Sioux Falls on November 9 and 10.
The poster draws on early data from the Midwest Birth Outcomes and Indigenous American Pregnancy study, which is following Indigenous American women from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota through pregnancy. In these preliminary results, women who reported more frequent thoughts and feelings about historical loss, and those who reported greater lifetime experiences of racism, tended to give birth to babies with lower birth weights. The two experiences were closely linked, and continued enrollment will help clarify how each contributes to disparities in birth outcomes.
Strahm, A. M., Biermann, G., Byron, G. S., & Hilmert, C. J. (2026, November). Historical loss, racism, and Indigenous American birth outcomes. Accepted for presentation at the 2026 T. Denny Sanford Pediatric Symposium: Mayo-Sanford Collaborative Foundation, Sioux Falls, SD.
Strahm, A. M., Biermann, G., Byron, G. S., & Hilmert, C. J. (2026, November). Historical loss, racism, and Indigenous American birth outcomes. Accepted for presentation at the 2026 Sanford Pediatric Research Symposium, Sioux Falls, SD.
The study is still enrolling. If you are an Indigenous American woman who is pregnant and interested in taking part, learn more and enroll here.
