Researchers Publish Overview of Existing Chemical Exposure Research using ECHO Cohort Data

Posted on by Jodi Snare

ECHO Research Spotlight — September 2024

ECHO researchers led by Emily Barrett, PhD, MA of the Rutgers University School of Public Health published a scoping review of existing ECHO research that evaluates the impact of chemical exposures on maternal and child health. A scoping review summarizes and provides an overview of the past and current research on a topic at a given point in time.

The review, titled “Advancing Understanding of Chemical Exposures and Maternal-child Health Through the U.S. Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program: A Scoping Review,” was recently published in Current Environmental Health Reports.

While specific environmental chemical exposures have been proven to impact child well-being, exposure studies are often limited in size and variance, limiting the ability to draw generalizable conclusions from results. With data from more than 60,000 participants from 69 groups of pregnant participants, the ECHO program is the largest study of U.S. children’s health and a unique opportunity for more-representative research.

Barrett and her team analyzed the current landscape of chemical exposure research using ECHO Cohort data. The review was developed to understand how the program has made strides in understanding environmental contributors to maternal and child health.

“With several years of ECHO under our belts, including thousands of biospecimens analyzed for chemical exposures (by ECHO researchers), we thought it was time to check in on the progress that had been made and to highlight the new opportunities opening in Cycle 2 of ECHO,” she said.

Through December 31, 2023, 1,530 papers total were published acknowledging ECHO funding. As of early 2024, there were more than 200 single-cohort papers published on chemical exposures through support of ECHO. In addition, 10 collaborative multi-cohort papers have been published using harmonized ECHO Cohort data. These multi-cohort papers have examined prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, phenols, parabens, organophosphate esters (OPEs), metals, melamine, aromatic amines, and emerging contaminants.

The NICHD’s Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) database houses extensive ECHO data including over 470,000 chemical assay results and complementary data on priority outcome areas (pre, peri-, and postnatal, airway, obesity, neurodevelopment, and positive health), making it a rich resource for future analyses.

The review points out that ECHO research has focused primarily on prenatal exposures as they relate to birth outcomes such as preterm birth or size at birth. Studies focused on later child health outcomes are anticipated in coming years as follow-up of participating children continues.

“As the ECHO Cohort matures, we’ll be better able to address later child health outcomes including asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and obesity,” Barrett said. “With many more ECHO-wide analyses of chemical exposures data ongoing, this is a really active area within ECHO. I would love to update this review five years from now, so we can see just how far we’ve come.”

Barrett also emphasized the value of ECHO research into new and emerging contaminants that may pose risks for children. “As older chemicals are phased out, often due to safety concerns, and newer replacements emerge, it’s imperative that we understand how they may be impacting children’s health and development,” she said.