Three validated dietary patterns were not associated with diagnosis, but healthy eating during pregnancy showed a modest link with lower scores for traits related to autism Expectant mothers with higher diet quality—measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index modified for Pregnancy (AHEI-P)—had children with modestly lower scores for traits related to autism spectrum disorder ...

Teens who report strong, high-quality friendships tend to have better mental health-an influence that appears nearly three times stronger than the link between social media use and mental health challenges, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health. Today’s teens spend a lot of time online. This ...

Children with stronger executive functioning skills may be better equipped to develop health-promoting behaviors that reduce their risk of chronic disease, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health. Key takeaways include: Across all pediatric life stages, children with higher working memory consumed fewer sugary drinks and saturated ...

Pregnant women in Hispanic and Black communities may experience greater prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including environmental phenols (EPs) and parabens, according to a study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). EDCs are commonly encountered during pregnancy through everyday items such as plastics, food packaging, and personal care ...

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) showed higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems, including depression, anxiety, and ADHD, compared to their peers without ASD, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Key Takeaways: Children with ASD had higher scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)—a questionnaire that ...

Sending children to childcare outside the home may not significantly affect children’s mental health, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health. This finding holds true even for children who face challenges, such as a parent’s mental illness or financial struggles at home. Many children in the ...

A newly published feature, Year in Review 2024, reflects how the ECHO Cohort Consortium has continued to enhance child health for generations to come. Through the ECHO Cohort, a collaborative approach to gathering information from study participants across dozens of research awards, many of the nation’s leading researchers are working together to examine a broad range of early environmental influences—including socioeconomic ...

Maternal stress during pregnancy showed a small but significant association with child sleep problems and sleep disturbance, according to recent ECHO Cohort research led by Sarah Dee Geiger, PhD and Susan Schantz, PhD of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Aruna Chandran, MD, MPH and Marie L. Churchill, MS of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. This ...

A new study from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program sheds light on how environmental exposures may have a larger impact on birth outcomes in vulnerable populations, particularly those defined by race, ethnicity, and maternal education. Researchers wanted to understand when the effect of these exposures becomes clinically significant and how different levels of exposure impact various ...

Expectant mothers who maintain a diet that meets USDA dietary guidelines during pregnancy may be more likely to have infants with healthy birthweights, steadier growth patterns, and potentially a reduced risk of obesity later in childhood, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health. The research, involving ...