Press Releases

NIH Program Study Finds Increased Weight Gain in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Children gained weight at a faster rate during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health.

Childhood obesity is a serious health condition that can affect long-term health and quality of life. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts were concerned that the closure of schools and recreational facilities could cause an increase in childhood obesity due to a reduction in physical activity and dietary changes.

ECHO researchers analyzed changes in children’s body mass index (BMI) before and during the pandemic and investigated whether changes in BMI varied based on race, ethnicity, prepandemic BMI, or household income. In general, children gained weight at an increased rate during the pandemic but children in higher income households were at a lower risk of excess weight gain.

“This study highlights the need for interventions to mitigate the physical and mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Emily Knapp, PhD. “The conditions faced by families during the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to an acceleration of weight gain in children. This study highlights the need to support less resourced families, who have borne the worst consequences of the pandemic.”

Dr. Knapp and Aruna Chandran, MD, ECHO Program investigators at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, led this collaborative research effort published in Pediatrics.

Knapp, E. A. et al. Changes in BMI During the COVID-19 Pandemic. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2022-056552

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency Emily Knapp, PhD Aruna Chandran, MD conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

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

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck 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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

NIH Program Study Suggests Racial/Ethnic Sleep Disparities During Pregnancy

Posted on by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Maristella Lucchini, PhD

Pregnant Black women may sleep less and wake up more often than pregnant White women, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Poor sleep during pregnancy is common, and it’s associated with poor outcomes in late pregnancy and after birth. Although minority groups in the United States often experience worse sleep than non-Hispanic White people, sleep disparities during pregnancy are understudied. Better understanding maternal sleep disparities—and what causes them—can help improve health outcomes for pregnant women and their children.

“Research shows poor sleep contributes to adverse maternal outcomes that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority communities,” said Maristella Lucchini, PhD, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “We wanted to know if sleep was a factor that contributed to racial and ethnic disparities in overall maternal health.”

Dr. Lucchini, an ECHO Program investigator, led this collaborative research effort, which is now published in Sleep.

The research team analyzed data from 2,500 pregnant participants in 14 ECHO cohorts nationwide. They found that compared to non-Hispanic white participants:

Non-Hispanic black participants reported:

    • Shorter sleep duration
    • More sleep disturbances
    • Similar sleep quality

Hispanic participants reported:

    • Longer sleep duration
    • Better sleep quality
    • Fewer sleep disturbances

Lucchini, M. et al. Racial/ethnic disparities in subjective sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep disturbances during pregnancy: an ECHO study. Sleep. DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac075

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

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

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck 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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

NIH Program Study Finds Rising Levels of Chemical Exposures in Pregnant Women

Posted on by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

A new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study found that pregnant women had been exposed to rising levels of certain chemicals, especially replacement chemicals: chemicals meant to replace other chemicals that have been banned or phased out. Many of the women had been exposed to neonicotinoids, a widely used type of pesticide.

The researchers used a new method for measuring multiple chemicals in a small amount of urine. More than 80% of chemicals examined were present in at least one of the women in the study, and about a third were found in a majority of the participants.

The study included 171 pregnant women enrolled in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. This is the largest exposure study to measure more than 100 chemicals simultaneously in a diverse population of pregnant women in the U.S.

“This study highlights the importance of including pregnant women in biomonitoring studies and informing policies and practices to decrease harmful chemical exposure,” said Jessie P. Buckley, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Buckley and Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, of the University of California San Francisco led the research team whose findings are now published in Environment Science & Technology.

The team determined detection frequencies and concentrations for each chemical, and assessed how demographic characteristics and the year of sample collection related to levels of the chemicals. They observed higher exposure levels among single and non-white women, those with lower educational attainment, and those exposed to tobacco.

Moving forward the team hopes to use larger sample sizes to better assess the relationship between prenatal chemical exposures and adverse birth outcomes.

Buckley, J. et al. Exposure to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals in Commerce among Pregnant Women in the United States: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Program. Environment Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08942

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. Visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. Visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

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

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck 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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

NIH Program Study Finds Association Between Prenatal Obesity and Child Autism-Related Behaviors

Posted on by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

According to a new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, there may be an association between certain conditions during a mother’s pregnancy, such as obesity and gestational diabetes, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)-related behaviors in childhood.

The study included nearly 7,000 participants from 40 NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohorts. Eight of the cohorts included participants with increased likelihood of ASD. Researchers collected data on maternal health conditions during pregnancy, child autism-related social behaviors, and participant demographics.

The study suggested that maternal obesity and gestational diabetes were associated with indicators of autism-related social behaviors. Investigators did not see increases in these behaviors for children of mothers with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. There was no strong evidence to suggest that ASD-related traits were related to preterm birth or low birth weight, which are common complications of these pregnancy conditions.

Learn more about this research through the affiliated flash talk.

“Investigating how exposures, health conditions, and risk factors relate across the full range of the outcome distribution may help us learn more about the nature of these relationships and their impact on the population,” said Kristen Lyall, ScD of Drexel University.

Dr. Lyall and Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD of Johns Hopkins University, are both ECHO Program investigators and led this collaborative effort. Their research is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

“Our results highlight the need for better prenatal care and more monitoring of women experiencing conditions like obesity during pregnancy,” said Dr. Ladd-Acosta.

Lyall, K. et al. Cardiometabolic Pregnancy Complications in Association with Autism-Related Traits as Measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale in ECHO. American Journal of Epidemiology. DOI 10.1093/aje/kwac061 (2022)

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

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

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck 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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

NIH Program Study Links COVID-19 Pandemic Hardships to Child Life Satisfaction

Posted on by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Courtney K. Blackwell, PhD

Families who faced more hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic had higher levels of both caregiver and child stress and lower child life satisfaction, according to a new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study. However, being more socially connected and engaged with family promoted life satisfaction for children of all ages.

The study included more than 1,600 families from 30 U.S. states. For younger children, family engagement decreased the negative effect of COVID-19 pandemic-related stress on life satisfaction. For adolescents, pre-existing anxiety and/or depression increased their risk for lower life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Courtney K. Blackwell, Ph.D. of Northwestern University, an investigator in the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, led this collaborative research effort. The article, titled “Youth well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic,” is published in Pediatrics.

The researchers used survey data from 14 ECHO cohorts across the U.S. to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related family hardships on caregiver and child stress, and understand how stress, social connection, family engagement, and pre-existing mental health conditions affect children’s life satisfaction.

“The findings demonstrate ways families can cope with adverse events and promote their children’s well-being through family engagement and fostering peer social connectedness,” Blackwell said. “They also show that stress and well-being are not direct opposites, suggesting the need for future interventions that target both decreasing children’s stress and improving their well-being.”

Blackwell, C. et al. Youth well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatrics. DOI 10.1542/peds.2021-054754 (2022)

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. The program consists of two major components, including 69 existing and ongoing observational study cohorts and a pediatric clinical trials network. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

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

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck 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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

NIH Program Study Links Smoking in Pregnant Moms to Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children

Posted on by Jodi Snare
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Smoking before or during pregnancy may be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits, such as symptoms of social impairments, according to a new study of approximately 11,000 children funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study also observed that full-term babies whose mothers smoked before and during pregnancy had a 44 percent increased risk of receiving an ASD diagnosis later in childhood. The research, titled “Maternal Tobacco Smoking and Offspring Autism Spectrum Disorder or Traits in ECHO Cohorts,” is published in Autism Research.

Rashelle J. Musci, Ph.D. of Johns Hopkins University and Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ph.D. of the University of California, Davis, led this collaborative effort as investigators in the NIH-funded Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

The research team gathered information from children in 13 ECHO cohorts across the U.S. Each cohort either collected diagnoses for ASD, administered the Social Responsiveness Scale to determine social impairments in the children, or both. All cohorts also collected data on the mothers’ prenatal smoking habits and potential confounding variables.

“Future studies can help determine the specific prenatal period at which infants are most susceptible to cigarette smoke exposure and other factors, such as lifestyle habits or paternal smoking, that may influence the child’s development,” Hertz-Picciotto said.

Hertz-Picciotto, I. et al. Maternal Tobacco Smoking and Offspring Autism Spectrum Disorder or Traits in ECHO Cohorts. Autism Research. DOI 10.1002/aur.2693 (2022)

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. The program consists of two major components, including 69 existing and ongoing observational study cohorts and a pediatric clinical trials network. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Media Contacts

For information or to request an interview, contact Rebekah Yeager,  rebekah.yeager@nih.gov.

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

Connect With Us

echo connectorCheck 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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.