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Prenatal Exposure to One Type of PFAS Linked to Small Differences in Children’s Sleep

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Children whose mothers had higher levels of one type of PFAS during pregnancy tended to have slightly more sleep problems between ages 1 and 5, according to a recent ECHO Cohort study led by Sarah D. Geiger, PhD, and Cai Zhang, of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are long-lasting chemicals found in many consumer and industrial products. They can remain in the environment and in people’s bodies for a long time. During pregnancy, PFAS can cross the placenta, meaning a developing baby may be exposed before birth. 

Researchers studied 2,836 mother-child pairs from 14 ECHO Cohort study sites across the United States and Puerto Rico. They measured levels of four PFAS chemicals in blood samples collected during pregnancy. Caregivers later answered questions about their children’s sleep, including difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, nightmares, and resistance at bedtime.  

Higher levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, during pregnancy were linked to slightly more sleep problems in young children. The pattern was similar in boys and girls. The other three PFAS chemicals studied were not clearly linked to children’s sleep problems. 

“Sleep is one of the most common concerns parents raise in early childhood, yet it is rarely studied as an outcome of prenatal chemical exposure,” said Zhang, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “The difference for any one child was small, but exposure to these chemicals is widespread, so even small differences are worth continued study.” 

Future studies could examine whether prenatal PFAS exposure continues to relate to sleep as children grow older. Researchers could also study combinations of PFAS, newer replacement chemicals, and sleep measurements collected through wearable devices. 

This collaborative research, titled “Prenatal PFAS exposure and early childhood sleep quality in the ECHO Cohort,” is published in Environmental Research.  

ECHO Study Links Prenatal Exposure to Phthalate Replacement with Differences in Fetal Growth

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Higher prenatal exposure to a chemical increasingly used to replace phthalates was associated with differences in fetal growth, according to a recent ECHO Cohort study led by Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP of NYU Langone Health.

Phthalates are widely used in food packaging, flooring, cosmetics, personal care products, and other everyday items. As manufacturers replace them with alternatives such as di(isononyl) cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH), researchers are working to understand whether these newer chemicals may also affect maternal and child health.

ECHO researchers analyzed data from 6,617 pregnancies at 22 ECHO Cohort Study Sites. They measured three DINCH breakdown products in urine collected during pregnancy and compared exposure levels with birth weight, birth length, pregnancy length, and infant size for gestational age.

Higher levels of DINCH-related markers were associated with lower birth weight and a greater likelihood of being born small for gestational age. Associations varied by infant sex: links with birth length were stronger among boys, while links with small-for-gestational-age status were stronger among girls. Third-trimester exposure appeared more strongly associated with lower birth weight for gestational age than exposure earlier in pregnancy.

Measurable DINCH markers were common among participants, suggesting widespread exposure in this population.

Because this was an observational study, the findings cannot show that DINCH directly caused these outcomes. Additional research may help clarify how DINCH affects pregnancy and fetal development and inform evaluations of other phthalate replacements.

This collaborative research, titled “Prenatal exposure to di(isononyl) cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate and adverse birth outcomes in the USA: a prospective analysis of births in a large American birth cohort,” is published in Environment International.

Adolescents Born Preterm Were Less Likely to Engage in Unhealthy Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Adolescents who were born preterm were less likely to report unhealthy behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent ECHO Cohort study led by Michael O’Shea, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected many adolescents’ mental health, daily routines, and social lives. Some adolescents may have been especially vulnerable, including those born preterm (<37 weeks). Previous research suggests adolescents born preterm may be less likely to take part in unhealthy behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or using marijuana.

Using data from more than 2,000 adolescents participating from 13 ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the United States, researchers compared self-reported measures of health and well-being among adolescents born at different stages of pregnancy. Participants completed surveys between March 2020 and March 2023 that assessed overall health, life satisfaction, and sense of meaning and purpose.

ECHO researchers looked at self-reported surveys from over 2,000 adolescents from thirteen ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the United States to better understand how adolescents born at different stages of pregnancy coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed surveys about changes in healthy behaviors, unhealthy behaviors, social connection, and how the pandemic affected their lives between April 2022 and June 2022.

Compared with adolescents born at term, adolescents born preterm were less likely to say they drank alcohol, used marijuana, or took part in at least one unhealthy behavior. Healthy or prosocial behaviors were common across all adolescents included in this study. More than half of the adolescents reported doing at least one positive activity, such as spending more time with family, reading, doing puzzles, practicing mindfulness, or talking with others. Girls born preterm showed more pronounced differences in positive and unhealthy behaviors. Girls born extremely preterm (<28 weeks) were more likely to report healthy or prosocial behaviors. Adolescents born moderate or late preterm (between 28 and 37 weeks) reported feeling more socially connected during the pandemic, compared to before the pandemic, but they were also more likely to say the pandemic had a negative overall effect on their lives.

The findings of this study suggest that adolescents employed multiple strategies to cope with the psychological stressors associated with the pandemic and that adolescents born preterm, as compared to those born at term, were less likely take part in an unhealthy behavior and equally likely to take part in a healthy coping behavior.

The study authors suggest that in future national crises similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, these findings may help physicians and parents be better prepared to support adolescents, including adolescents born preterm. Additional studies could also help researchers identify counseling strategies that support healthy coping, family communication, and adolescent well-being during future pandemics, natural disasters, or other major disruptions.

This collaborative research, titled “Child health-related behaviors, social connectedness, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children born preterm in the ECHO Cohort,” is published in BMC Pediatrics.

Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides Not Associated with Autism-Related Traits in Children in Large NIH Study

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Pregnant mom at farmer's market

Exposure during pregnancy to a common type of pesticide was not linked to autism-related traits in children, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

The findings suggest that, at the relatively low levels of exposure observed in the study, these pesticides may not be associated with autism-related traits during childhood.

Organophosphate pesticides are chemicals used to kill insects. People can come into contact with them through food, especially non-organic fruits and vegetables. Earlier studies on whether exposure to these chemicals before birth suggest that they affect children’s brain and behavioral development and are consistently associated with cognitive challenges, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, studies investigating their connection to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related traits have had mixed results. Many of those studies included fewer families or looked at groups with higher exposure levels. ECHO Cohort researchers wanted to know whether these pesticides were linked to autism-related traits in a large and geographically diverse group of families across the United States.

Led by Haleigh M. Cavalier, MPH, PhD, of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, the study included 3,339 mother-child pairs from 20 ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the country. Researchers tested urine samples collected during pregnancy for markers of organophosphate pesticide exposure. They then looked for associations between those markers and children’s scores on a standard questionnaire used to measure autism-related social and behavioral traits.

After accounting for other factors that can affect child development, researchers found no link between higher prenatal pesticide exposure and higher autism-related trait scores. The results were similar when researchers looked at girls and boys separately, focused on children with higher scores on questionnaires measuring autism-related traits, and considered available information about mothers’ diets.

"While we know that that organophosphate pesticides can harm the developing brain, they were not a major driver of characteristics seen in autism at the relatively low exposure levels we observed,” said Dr. Cavalier.

“These results should not be interpreted to mean that such pesticides are safe, nor do they rule out autism-related risks at higher exposures or among more vulnerable groups.”

Because diet can affect both pesticide exposure and child development, researchers also looked at whether diet changed the results. Including diet information shifted some estimates, suggesting diet may have influenced some of the patterns seen in the study. However, those shifts did not change the overall conclusion.

The findings do not address all possible health effects of pesticide exposure. Instead, they point to the need for better ways to measure exposure, more attention to highly exposed or potentially vulnerable populations, and continued research on ways to reduce pesticide exposure.

Future studies should continue to consider diet quality and look more closely at exposure during specific pregnancy stages, pesticide and other chemical mixtures, higher-exposure settings, and genetic factors that may make some children more susceptible.

This collaborative research was published in JAMA Pediatrics.

About ECHO
The ECHO Cohort Consortium is a research program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the mission to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO Cohort investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact the ECHO Program Coordinating Center echocc@dm.duke.edu.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Connect With Us

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Check out the recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletter, the ECHO Connector, for program news and the latest research findings.

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Follow the ECHO Program on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates.

Higher Fluoride Levels in Public Drinking Water During Pregnancy May Be Linked to Differences in Children’s Cognition Scores, NIH-Funded Study Finds

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Pregnant woman having a glass of water

Associations appeared when fluoride levels in neighborhood drinking water were close to or above current U.S. recommended levels.

Pregnant mothers who lived in neighborhoods where public drinking water fluoride levels were near or above the current U.S. recommended levels, tended to have children who scored lower on tests of fluid reasoning as fluoride levels increased, according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

Fluoride occurs naturally in some water sources and is commonly added to public water systems to help prevent cavities. The paper’s authors note that a recent National Toxicology Program review examined evidence linking fluoride exposure levels above 1,500 micrograms per liter in drinking water with lower IQ scores in children. However, most U.S. public water systems have lower fluoride levels, and questions remain about associations at lower levels typically found in the United States.

ECHO researchers looked at whether fluoride levels in public drinking water during pregnancy were related to cognitive scores assessed during childhood.

"This study addresses an important gap by evaluating prenatal water fluoride and child cognition in a large U.S. sample," said lead author Katrina Simon, PhD, of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. "Findings from this work offer evidence that can inform ongoing guidance aimed at supporting children's development."

Researchers reported that children whose mothers had higher estimated fluoride levels in public drinking water during pregnancy tended to score lower on tests of fluid cognition that include problem-solving, memory, attention, and the ability to adapt to new information. Higher water fluoride levels were only linked to lower fluid cognition scores when water fluoride levels were near and above 675 micrograms per liter, which is close to the current U.S. Public Health Service recommended level of 700 micrograms, or 0.7 milligrams, per liter for fluoridated water. The current regulatory level set by EPA is higher at 4,000 micrograms per liter. Above 675 micrograms per liter, each 500 micrograms per liter increase in fluoride was associated with an average 3.36-point lower score on the standardized fluid cognition scale.

Researchers also found that the relationship between prenatal fluoride levels and cognition was specific to fluid cognition. Importantly, the study did not identify a link between fluoride and crystallized cognition, which includes learned knowledge such as vocabulary, across all ages.

In addition, the associations appeared stronger when cognition was assessed at a younger age. Children younger than 7 years of age showed larger differences in cognition scores associated with higher prenatal fluoride exposure compared to older children. Additional research is needed to better understand these age-related findings.

The study included 2,514 children born between 2006 and 2019 who completed cognitive testing between ages 3 and 17.

To estimate prenatal water fluoride exposure, researchers linked publicly available drinking water fluoride measurements to residential address information collected during pregnancy from ECHO participants. The study focused specifically on fluoride levels in public drinking water systems and did not measure total fluoride exposure from all possible sources, such as toothpaste, tea, foods, supplements, bottled water, or private wells.

Researchers then compared these estimates with children's performance on NIH Toolbox cognition assessments, while accounting for factors such as parental education, parental age, prenatal tobacco exposure, child sex, season of conception, and neighborhood characteristics.

“Because our study used fluoride measurements from public water systems that are collected as part of routine drinking water monitoring, the findings may help inform future evaluations of public drinking water guidelines,” said co-senior author Anne Nigra, PhD, also of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Community water fluoridation has long been used as a public health measure intended to reduce tooth decay. The current study does not evaluate the overall benefits and risks of community water fluoridation

“This study adds to a large body of work that looks at how early exposure to environmental contaminants may be associated with the development of the thinking and learning processes that are important for children’s developmental outcomes,” said co-senior author Amy Margolis, PhD, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine. “Continuing to study fluoride and other exposures will be integral in best supporting children’s environmental health and well-being.”

The researchers emphasize that this was an observational study. The findings demonstrate an association between prenatal fluoride exposure and children's cognition, but they do not prove that fluoride caused differences in cognitive performance.

The authors noted that future research could focus on when children may be most sensitive to fluoride exposure and examine both potential developmental risks and dental health benefits to better understand relationships between fluoride exposure and child health.

This collaborative research was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Simon KR, Bloomquist TR, Rajeev T, Hernandez A, Kulali S, Burjak M, Kress AM, Palmore M, Akbaryan A, Sanchez TR, Ornelas Van Horne Y, Shin HM, Goin DE, Tamayo-Ortiz M, Patel GH, Shuffrey LC, Ghassabian A, Karagas MR, Leventhal L, Fry RC, Miller RL, Herbstman J, Morales S, Margolis AE, Nigra AE. Prenatal exposure to fluoride in public water and child cognition in the US ECHO Cohort, 2006-2019. 2026. American Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwag186

About ECHO
The ECHO Cohort Consortium is a research program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the mission to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO Cohort investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact the ECHO Program Coordinating Center  echocc@dm.duke.edu.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Connect With Us

echo connector

Check out the recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletter, the ECHO Connector, for program news and the latest research findings.

To receive the ECHO Connector through email, subscribe here.

Follow the ECHO Program on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates.

Higher Blood Levels of Certain Metals During Pregnancy Associated with Autism-Related Traits in Children

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Pregnant woman

Higher levels of certain metals in mothers’ blood during pregnancy—including lead, mercury, and cadmium—were associated with autism-related traits in children, and higher levels of cadmium were associated with higher odds of an ASD diagnosis, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

Lead, mercury, and cadmium are metals that people may be exposed to through sources such as food, air, water, tobacco smoke, and some consumer products. During pregnancy, some metals can cross the placenta and reach the developing fetus. Previous studies have suggested possible links between prenatal metal exposure and ASD, but findings have been mixed, and many studies have examined one exposure at a time rather than the combined effects of multiple metals.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from mother-child pairs enrolled in the ECHO Cohort. They found that higher prenatal blood levels of lead and mercury were associated with higher scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS‑2), a caregiver-reported measure of social and behavioral traits related to autism. Higher blood cadmium levels were associated with higher odds of an ASD diagnosis.

When researchers looked at the metals together, higher combined levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead were also associated with differences in autism-related behaviors, particularly in areas related to social functioning. Most metals measured in urine were not associated with these outcomes after accounting for other factors, although one metal (barium) showed differences by child sex that may warrant further study.

“We found that higher prenatal levels of metals—including lead, mercury, and cadmium—both individually and in combination, were associated with a higher likelihood of autism diagnosis and greater levels of autism-related behaviors, even at concentrations not typically considered elevated,” said Pi-I Debby Lin, ScD, of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. “These findings underscore the importance of increasing awareness of environmental exposures and strengthening approaches to screening during pregnancy, while continuing to evaluate what levels of exposure may be considered safe during this critical window of development.”

The study included 479 mother-child pairs with prenatal blood metal measurements and 482 pairs with prenatal urine metal measurements. Mothers provided samples during pregnancy, and researchers later compared those measurements with children’s SRS‑2 scores and ASD diagnoses when available. The analyses accounted for factors such as study site, maternal age, income, education, smoking exposure, and child sex.

The study, “Associations of prenatal metal exposures with autism-related outcomes in the ECHO Cohort,” was published in Environmental Epidemiology.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact the ECHO Program Coordinating Center echocc@dm.duke.edu.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Connect With Us

echo connector

Check out the recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletter, the ECHO Connector, for program news and the latest research findings.

To receive the ECHO Connector through email, subscribe here.

Follow the ECHO Program on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates.

Caregivers’ Experience of Discrimination Not Significantly Linked to Child IQ Scores, ECHO Study Finds

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Caregivers’ reports of discrimination were not linked to children’s overall IQ scores, but caregiver income and education remain important factors linked to children’s brain development, according to a new ECHO Cohort study led by Jennifer Porter, MD, of the University of Louisville.

Children’s early brain development helps shape how they learn, think, and solve problems. Although average IQ scores sometimes differ across population groups, research indicates these differences are explained by differences in social, economic, and environmental conditions. One possible factor is discrimination experienced by caregivers, which may affect children through stress or changes in the home environment. However, most past studies have focused on individual or economic factors and have not fully explored how caregiver experiences with discrimination might be related to children’s cognitive development. ECHO researchers looked at data from over 1,000 children and their caregivers from eight ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the United States to better understand how caregiver discrimination and other factors may influence child brain development.

Key Takeaways include:

  • Caregivers’ reports of discrimination were not linked to children’s overall IQ scores for either Black or White children.
  • Children tended to have higher IQ scores when their caregivers had higher income and more education.
  • Neighborhood opportunity—as measured by the Child Opportunity Index that reflects neighborhood-level resources, such as access to healthy food, high-quality early childhood education, and economic opportunity—did not explain differences in children’s IQ scores after the researchers accounted for other factors.
  • Across income levels, a much higher share of Black families lived in neighborhoods with low or very low opportunity. Black caregivers also reported more discrimination overall than White caregivers.

“The study did not find a link between caregiver discrimination and child IQ, but it raises the question of how we measure discrimination,” said Dr. Porter. “The current measures may not capture the different levels of discrimination experienced by caregivers.”

Future studies could help researchers better understand the complex relationship between caregiver discrimination, other social and environmental factors, and child brain development.

This collaborative research, titled “Perceived Caregiver Discrimination and Neurocognitive Development: An Analysis from the ECHO Cohort,” is published in Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Teens Born Extremely Preterm Report Positive Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Teens who were born extremely preterm—before 28 weeks of pregnancy—reported overall health similar to their peers born at term during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new ECHO Cohort study led by Elisabeth McGowan, MD, of Brown University. The findings suggest that many teens born extremely early may experience positive well-being and resilience, even during times of significant disruption.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed daily life for children and teens across the United States. School closures, reduced social activities, and changes to family routines raised concerns about how young people were coping emotionally and socially. Researchers were particularly interested in understanding how these challenges affected teens born preterm, who are often considered at greater risk for health and developmental difficulties.

Using data from more than 4,000 teens participating in the ECHO Cohort, researchers compared self-reported measures of health and well-being among teens born at different stages of pregnancy. Participants completed surveys between March 2020 and March 2023 that assessed overall health, life satisfaction, and sense of meaning and purpose.

The researchers found that teens born extremely preterm reported overall health similar to peers born at term. After accounting for demographic differences, they also reported higher life satisfaction and a stronger sense of meaning and purpose. Participants born moderately preterm or late preterm reported levels of well-being similar to those born at term.

These findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that being born very early does not necessarily lead to poorer self-reported quality of life or well-being later in life. The results also highlight the importance of asking young people directly about their experiences and perspectives rather than relying solely on medical or developmental measures.

“Positive health attributes have the potential to provide resilience and help mitigate negative exposures or experiences,” said Dr. McGowan. “By understanding characteristics that lead to resilience, particularly among high-risk groups of children, we hope to allow for identification as well as replication of strategies that help buffer against times of stress.”

McGowan noted that more studies are needed to better understand why some teens born extremely preterm report positive well-being. Future research could examine how factors such as ongoing health challenges, mental health, family support, school environments, and community resources may shape their experiences.

The study included 4,093 biological mother-child pairs from 38 ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the United States. Participants were ages 10–18 years and provided information about their health and well-being during the pandemic.

The study, “Self-reported Positive Health Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adolescents Born Preterm in the ECHO Cohort,” was published in the Journal of Perinatology.

A Healthy Diet During Pregnancy Associated with Lower Exposure to Some—But Not All—Chemicals, NIH Study Finds

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Young mother eating and reading book at home

Following dietary guidelines during pregnancy may reduce exposure to many —but not all— environmental chemicals from food and everyday products, according to a new study of nearly 1,500 pregnant participants funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Diet is one way people can be exposed to environmental chemicals. These chemicals can enter foods during farming, processing, packaging, storage, or cooking. Understanding whether following current dietary recommendations that support a healthy pregnancy could also influence chemical exposures was a key question for ECHO researchers Diana Pacyga, PhD, MS and Jessie Buckley, PhD, MPH of the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Recent ECHO research found that pregnant participants were exposed to an average of 45 different environmental chemicals, highlighting the importance of understanding whether healthy eating patterns are linked to differences in exposures. “Lowering exposure to chemicals is particularly important during pregnancy, as earlier ECHO studies have also linked certain chemicals to worse health in mothers and their children” said Dr. Buckley.

Researchers examined diet and chemical exposures in nearly 1,500 pregnant participants in the ECHO Cohort, measuring more than 100 chemicals in urine samples and relating them to diet quality based on how closely participants followed the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Pregnant people whose diets more closely followed the guidelines, including eating more lean protein, had lower levels of some commonly encountered chemicals found in food packaging or formed as byproducts during cooking. For example, levels of one phthalate that can leach into food from plastic packaging were about 13% lower among participants with higher quality diets.

“What we discovered is that following the U.S. Dietary Guidelines may have two benefits—helping meet pregnancy nutrient needs and offering a way to reduce exposure to many common industrial chemicals,” said Dr. Pacyga.

However, the same dietary pattern does not lower exposure to all chemicals. Participants following the guidelines also had higher levels of certain chemicals. Notably, eating more fruits and vegetables and less added sugar were linked with higher levels of some pesticides, which can be found on fresh produce.

Overall, a diet higher in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins and lower in added sugar was linked with lower or higher exposure to different environmental chemicals, underscoring the complex relationship between food and chemical exposures. These findings highlight areas where consumers may benefit from additional guidance to help reduce their dietary chemical exposures.

“Fresh fruits and vegetables are important for a healthy pregnancy diet, but they can also be a source of pesticides,” Dr. Pacyga explained. “Buying organic, when possible, and washing or peeling produce may help reduce exposure while still eating these healthy foods.”

The researchers emphasize that following dietary guidelines remains an important part of a healthy pregnancy, but their findings could help inform future discussions about how dietary guidance addresses environmental exposures.

“A modest revision of the dietary guidelines to include advice on reducing chemical exposures could help protect pregnant women’s health without changing the food recommendations we already know support good nutrition,” Dr. Buckley said.

The researchers note that more studies are needed to better understand these relationships and to identify other practical ways to reduce exposure through diet.

The study, titled “Dietary guidelines adherence and pregnancy exposure to 10 classes of priority chemicals: An observational study in the ECHO Cohort,” was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

About ECHO
The ECHO Cohort Consortium is a research program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the mission to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO Cohort investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact the ECHO Program Coordinating Center echocc@dm.duke.edu.

If you are not a member of the media, but have a general inquiry, please contact  NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Connect With Us

echo connector

Check out the recent issues of our bi-monthly newsletter, the ECHO Connector, for program news and the latest research findings.

To receive the ECHO Connector through email, subscribe here.

Follow the ECHO Program on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates.

Celebrating Innovation: Meet the OIF Round 3 Principal Investigators

Posted on by Jodi Snare

The ECHO Coordinating Center is pleased to announce that the NIH ECHO Program Office selected 12 investigators to receive research funding through the ECHO Opportunities and Innovation Fund (OIF).

The OIF is an NIH-funded grant mechanism to support early career investigators who propose projects that introduce new research, tools, and technologies to the ECHO Program. Each OIF investigator is sponsored by an ECHO award.

For this OIF round, NIH requested proposals focusing on the following areas:

  • ECHO Cycle 2 Scientific Priorities defined by the ECHO Steering Committee
    • Aim for discoveries that are directly related to preventing diseases and promoting health
    • Identify how and why children’s health changes over time, which could lead to early detection of diseases
    • Identify protective or risk factors that change how early environmental or genetic factors influence child health
    • Identify periods of development most sensitive to specific beneficial or harmful exposures
    • Rapidly design studies in response to unexpected events or health innovations that affect child health
  • The Science of Operations, specifically:
    • Refinement of measures
    • Return of individual research results
    • Recruitment and retention strategies

Congratulations to the awardees! See below for the full list of awardees and their research proposal titles.

  1. Yaray Agosto, PhD, MPH – Santos Award, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
    Identifying Disability Type, Functional Limitations, and Obesity Risk Among ECHO Children
  2. Jessica Arizaga, PhD – Coordinating Center Award, University of California, San Francisco
    Redefining Early Childhood ACEs in the ECHO Cohort
  3. Catrina Calub, PhD – Hertz-Picciotto Award, University of California, Davis
    Identifying Greenspace Features that Promote Adolescent Mental Health and Cognition
  4. Catherine Cohen, PhD, RDN – Dabelea Award, University of Colorado Denver
    Added Sugar Exposures in Early Life in Relation to Childhood Obesity Risk
  5. Heather Guetterman, MS, PhD, RD – Aguiar Award, Michigan State University
    Improving the Characterization of Prenatal Intake of Supplemental Micronutrients for Optimal Birth Outcomes
  6. Yu Ni, PhD – Karr Award, San Diego State University Research Foundation
    Chronic Transportation Noise Exposure and Blood Pressure in ECHO Children
  7. Miriam Novack, PhD – Measurement Core Award, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
    From Lab to Livingroom: Remote Adaptation of the NIH Baby Toolbox for Infant Assessment
  8. Adam Pedersen, PhD – Kerver Award, Wayne State University
    Nontargeted Bioinformatics Approaches to Identify Associations Between Emerging Pollutants and Maternal Metabolic Pathways and Early Life Growth
  9. Mengyuan Ren, PhD – Dunlop Award, Emory University
    Prenatal Air Pollution and Newborn Neurodevelopment across ECHO cohorts (PANDA-ECHO)
  10. Ana Rosen Vollmar, PhD – Ferrara Award, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research
    Wildfire Smoke Exposure and Child Cardiovascular Health
  11. David Sosnowski, PhD – Lyall Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
    Interaction Between Genetic Risk for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Childhood Adversity Predicting Childhood Behavior Outcomes
  12. Danielle Stevens, PhD – Hunt Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Corrected Age in Practice: Identifying At-Risk Preterm Children Through Multivariate Growth Modeling