ECHO Program Collects Valuable Data on Nutrition During Pregnancy and Early Life

Authors: Megan Bragg, Kristen Lyall, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

Why was the study needed?

Improving nutrition during pregnancy and childhood is a key focus for public health in the United States. Many pregnant women and children face deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals coupled with excess salt, saturated fats, and sugars in their diets. Socioeconomic factors may affect access to nutritious food, contributing to disparities in rates of diet-related chronic disease that could affect pregnancy outcomes and child growth and development. Often, data collected on diet provide only a snapshot that can't address how early-life diet affects later child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort Consortium is addressing these challenges by gathering information over time about the dietary habits of individuals during pregnancy and childhood from a large, diverse group of participants. This study examines the types of diet information collected from the ECHO Cohort and provides examples of how researchers can use this data to learn more about the role of nutrition in child health outcomes.

What were the study results?

This study aimed to describe dietary intake data available in the ECHO Program as of August 2022, from pregnancy through adolescence, including estimated sample sizes, and to highlight the potential for future analyses of nutrition and child health. As of that date, 66 ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the country had collected diet information using a variety of methods, including dietary recalls, food frequency questionnaires, and questionnaires about supplement use. Diet information from these study sites is especially useful because it has been collected from a large group of diverse people, and because many families provided information more than once over the course of pregnancy and childhood.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.

What was the study's impact?

This study highlights the large amount of diet information already available from the ECHO Cohort and the opportunities for researchers to access this publicly available resource to answer important questions about nutrition and child health outcomes.

Who was involved?

This study examined data from pregnant women and children at 66 ECHO Cohort Study Sites in 34 U.S. states who answered questions about their diets by August 2022. Data about more than 26,000 pregnant women and 27,000 children is publicly available.

What happened during the study?

Researchers examined the diet information that study sites collected from pregnant women and children through August 2022, including questionnaires and medical records. Researchers sorted this information by the type of questionnaire and whether it was from a pregnant woman or a child. Many participants contributed data from both the pregnant woman and the child and reported on their diet more than once.

What happens next?

The ECHO Program will continue to collect diet information from participants. Information from over 33,000 pregnancies and more than 31,000 children in the ECHO Program is now accessible to researchers. This de-identified data is publicly available to researchers through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) to encourage broad use to answer important questions about nutrition and child health.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Opportunities for examining child health impacts of early-life nutrition in the ECHO Program: Maternal and child dietary intake data from pregnancy to adolescence” in Current Developments in Nutrition.

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published November 2023

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ECHO Program Collects Valuable Data on Nutrition During Pregnancy and Early Life

ECHO Study Finds No Association Between Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes

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ECHO Study Finds No Association Between Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes

Authors: Jonathan Lewis, Emily A. Knapp, Amii M. Kress, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

Why was this study needed?

Arsenic is a naturally occurring, toxic chemical that can be present in groundwater and surface water. Drinking water, as a result, is one of the most common ways people are exposed to arsenic in the U.S. and globally. There have been a limited number of small studies of the association between arsenic and birth outcomes, mostly outside of the U.S. In this study, ECHO researchers examined a diverse group of pregnant participants from across the country to determine if birth outcomes—birth weight, gestational age at birth, preterm birth, and size at birth—are influenced by arsenic concentrations that are above regulatory action levels.

What were the study results?

Researchers found that low birth weight, gestational age at birth, preterm birth, and birth size were not associated with potential exposure to arsenic among pregnant women living in a county with active arsenic level violations. There was a statistically significant increase in birth weight among infants whose mother’s experienced continuous exposure (from three months before conception through birth) compared with infants from areas without violations.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.

What was this study's impact?

Overall, drinking water violations for arsenic that could indicate the presence of the chemical above regulatory action levels are relatively uncommon. Researchers captured proxy exposure using residential history arsenic violations from the preconception period throughout pregnancy, a time when environmental influences could disrupt fetal growth.

Who was involved?

The study included over 15,000 mother-child pairs at 51 ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the United States. The children were born in 2006 or later, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) changed the enforceable standard for arsenic concentrations in drinking water to 10 parts per billion during that year. Only 794 participants experienced arsenic violations.

What happened during the study?

Researchers grouped pregnant participants based on where they lived three months before conception and during pregnancy. Within those areas, investigators determined which public water systems had violations for arsenic. Then they looked at how living in a county with an arsenic violation might affect birth outcomes.

What happens next?

Future research could better identify ECHO participants’ exposure to arsenic by considering other sources of drinking water (e.g., bottled or filtered water) and exposure to arsenic in foods.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Associations Between Area-Level Arsenic Exposure and Adverse Birth Outcomes: An ECHO-Wide Cohort Analysis,” in Environmental Research.

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published November 1, 2023

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ECHO Study Finds No Association Between Arsenic Exposure and Birth Outcomes

NIH Study Identifies Food to Help Pregnant Women Optimize Intake of Key Nutrients

Posted on September 27, 2023August 27, 2025 by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Study can help doctors and pregnant patients shape a balanced diet and supplement strategy.

Most pregnant women in the U.S. are at risk of not getting enough of six nutrients important to a healthy pregnancy—vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids—from foods alone. Yet finding a combination of foods and supplements that delivers the right amounts of these nutrients without exceeding calorie recommendations or safety limits can be challenging.

In a new study published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers from NIH’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program wanted to find low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods that could boost nutrient intake, much like dietary supplements do. They calculated how much of the six nutrients participants were getting from their diets and compared that data to pregnancy nutrition recommendations to determine the amount of nutrients the participants would need from additional foods to make up for the gaps in their diet.

What they found was that no single food they evaluated gave enough of all six nutrients in a reasonable serving size to bring typical diets in line with recommendations for nutrient intake during pregnancy. One food—raw seaweed—contained five of the key nutrients—vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acid—but required up to 7 cups a day to meet daily requirements. Twenty-one foods and beverages contained at least four key nutrients in reasonable serving sizes, including a 1.2-cup ready-to-drink nutritional shake. Researchers also found that few foods met the targets for vitamin D and iron, suggesting that dietary supplements may be necessary to fill the gaps for those particular nutrients.

"This study emphasizes the importance of a balanced and varied diet during pregnancy, along with considering appropriate supplementation, to ensure the well-being of both the mother and the developing baby," study author Katherine Sauder, PhD of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine said.

The research highlights a selection of healthy, low-calorie foods that pregnant women can add to their diets to help meet nutritional requirements during pregnancy. Some examples of readily available foods to choose from include:

2 cups of raw carrots for vitamin A
6 cups of reduced-fat milk for vitamin D
4 cups of edamame could provide the optimal amount of folic acid
1 cup of a nutritional drink or shake for calcium
9 cups of multigrain cereal for iron
1 cups of canned chicken for omega-3 fatty acids

What happened during the study

ECHO researchers examined more than 2,300 foods and drinks that people in the U.S. typically eat, focusing on those containing one or more of the six essential nutrients to be consumed during pregnancy. The foods and quantities evaluated contained the minimum amount of one or more of the nutrients without exceeding 340 calories or the maximum amount of any of the other nutrients. Then, they compared diets of 2,450 pregnant participants from six ECHO research sites across the U.S. to pregnancy nutrition recommendations to determine how participants could fill the gaps in their diets.

This collaborative research was led by Dr. Sauder and Catherine Cohen, PhD, RD of the University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus.

Sauder, K. et al. Identifying Foods That Optimize Intake of Key Micronutrients During Pregnancy. Journal of Nutrition. DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.08.012

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About ECHO:

Launched in 2016, the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program is a research program in the Office of the Director at the NIH with the mission 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

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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

ECHO Research Identifies Variety of Low-calorie, Nutrient-rich Foods for Optimal Prenatal Nutrition

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ECHO Research Identifies Variety of Low-calorie, Nutrient-rich Foods for Optimal Prenatal Nutrition

Authors: Katherine Sauder, Catherine Cohen, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

Why was the study needed?

Most pregnant women in the U.S. are at risk of not getting enough of nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids from foods alone. Previous ECHO Cohort research found that only one prenatal supplement available in the U.S. may give pregnant women the optimal amounts of each of these six nutrients. However, that supplement costs $200 per month and requires the patient to take seven pills a day. Researchers in this study turned to diet to explore energy-efficient foods that could provide the right amounts of these nutrients for pregnant patients.

What were the study results?

Researchers in this study identified more than 2,300 low-calorie foods with enough of at least one of the six nutrients important in pregnancy, including many with reasonable serving amounts to avoid excessive intake. For instance, consuming an additional 0.2 cups of raw carrots could provide the optimal amount of vitamin A. An additional 2.6 cups of reduced-fat milk could provide the optimal amount of vitamin D. An additional 0.4 cups of edamame could provide the optimal amount of folic acid. An additional 1 cup of a nutritional drink or shake could provide the optimal amount of calcium. An additional 0.9 cups of multigrain cereal could provide the optimal amount of iron. An additional 0.1 cups of canned chicken could provide the optimal amount of omega-3 fatty acids.

However, no single food evaluated gave enough of all six nutrients. Seaweed (raw or cooked without fat) provided sufficient vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3s but would require consumption of more than 5 cups per day. Twenty-one other foods and beverages (mainly fish, vegetables, and beverages) provided target amounts of four of the six key nutrients. Few foods met targets for vitamin D or iron, suggesting that dietary supplements may be necessary to meet those nutrient needs. Other foods could be added in limited amounts to help meet intake targets without exceeding caloric recommendations or nutrient safety limits.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.

What was the study's impact?

Results highlight the difficulty in meeting nutritional requirements from diet alone and can inform pregnant women and their doctors about dietary changes and additional supplements that can improve nutrition during pregnancy. Pregnant women can focus on boosting prenatal intake of low-mercury fish, low-fat dairy, green and leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals to meet nutrient recommendations.

Who was involved?

This study included 2,450 pregnant participants from six ECHO Cohort Study Sites located across the U.S.

What happened during the study?

The researchers compared over 2,300 foods and beverages consumed in the U.S., focusing on the nutrients that are most important for maternal and infant health: vitamin A, vitamin D, folic acid, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. ECHO researchers looked at foods and drinks that pregnant participants consumed during their pregnancies and then calculated how much of these six nutrients they were getting from their diet. The researchers compared the participants’ diets to nutrition recommendations for pregnancy to determine the amount of nutrients the participants would need from foods to make up for the gaps in their diet.

What happens next?

Future research may focus on studying exactly how much of these nutrients are needed for pregnant women.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Identifying Foods that Optimize Intake of Key Micronutrients During Pregnancy" in The Journal of Nutrition.

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published September 27, 2023

Access the associated article.

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ECHO Research Identifies Variety of Low-calorie, Nutrient-rich Foods for Optimal Prenatal Nutrition

New ECHO Research Identifies Energy-efficient Foods to Boost Prenatal Nutrient Intake

Posted on September 27, 2023April 9, 2025 by Jodi Snare

Collaborative ECHO Cohort research led by Katherine Sauder, PhD and Catherine Cohen, PhD, RD of the University of Colorado Denver – Anschutz Medical Campus identified more than 2,300 energy-efficient foods that could help provide the right amounts of six key nutrients for a healthy pregnancy. This research, titled “Identifying Foods that Optimize Intake of Key Micronutrients During Pregnancy” is published in The Journal of Nutrition.

Most pregnant women in the U.S. are at risk of not getting enough of the nutrients vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids from foods alone. Previous ECHO Cohort research found that only one prenatal supplement available in the U.S. may give pregnant women the optimal amounts of each of these six nutrients. However, that supplement costs $200 per month and requires the patient to take seven pills a day.

Researchers in this study wanted to identify nutrient-rich foods to supplement a pregnant woman’s diet to meet nutrient targets, in the same way that supplements do. They identified more than 2,300 low-calorie foods with enough of at least one of the six nutrients important in pregnancy, including many with reasonable serving amounts to avoid excessive intake. However, no single food evaluated gave enough of each nutrient to fill all six nutrient gaps. One food—raw seaweed—contained five of the key nutrients—vitamin A, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acid—but required up to 7 cups a day to meet daily requirements. Twenty-one other foods and beverages (mainly fish, vegetables, and beverages) provided target amounts of four of the six key nutrients. Few foods met targets for vitamin D or iron, suggesting that dietary supplements may be necessary to meet those nutrient needs. Other foods could be added in limited amounts to help meet intake targets without exceeding caloric recommendations or nutrient safety limits.

The study included 2,450 pregnant participants from six ECHO Cohort Study Sites across the U.S. ECHO researchers looked at foods and drinks that pregnant participants consumed during their pregnancies and then calculated how much of these six nutrients they were getting from their diet. The researchers compared the participants’ diets to nutrition recommendations for pregnancy to determine the amount of nutrients the participants would need from foods to make up for the gaps in their diet.

“Our analysis indicates that more substantial shifts in dietary intake are likely needed to meet nutrient intake targets, as well as improve prenatal intake more generally,” Dr. Sauder said. “Clinicians can encourage pregnant females to reduce intake of nutrient-poor, energy-dense foods so that more nutrient-rich foods can be consumed without inducing excess calorie intake.”

Read the research summary.

ECHO Researchers Characterize Children Born Preterm into Four Neurobehavioral Profiles

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ECHO Researchers Characterize Children Born Preterm into Four Neurobehavioral Profiles

Authors: Marie Camerota, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

Why was the study needed?

Birth outcomes for infants born very preterm have steadily improved over the past several decades. More children born at earlier gestational ages are surviving into childhood, however, it is unclear how being born very preterm may influence neurodevelopmental or behavioral problems.

Outcomes of children born at a gestational age of less than 33 weeks (“very pre-term”) vary significantly, with some children showing few neurodevelopmental concerns and others showing significant impairment. Most prior research has looked at single outcomes—for example, whether a child born preterm had a lower neurodevelopmental score or higher levels of behavior problems. Understanding how these different outcomes may group together can help researchers and healthcare providers provide more comprehensive treatment plans for children born very preterm.

What were the study results?

Researchers found evidence for four different neurobehavioral profiles based on different combinations of cognitive, motor, and behavioral outcomes of children at the age of two. These profiles range from few or no developmental concerns to severe impairment in one or more domains. The study placed most children (about 85%) into one of two groups with no/mild developmental delay and a low prevalence of behavioral problems. The remaining 15% fell into one of two profiles with more serious neurodevelopmental problems with (5%) or without (10%) co-occurring behavior problems.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

What was the study's impact?

This study helps researchers better understand outcomes for children following a very pre-term birth. The different groups of children this study described might require different types of follow-up services or interventions.

Who was involved?

This study included more than 2,000 babies who were born at less than 33 weeks gestational age and were evaluated at the age of two years. Pre-term children from three ECHO research sites in the U.S. were included in this analysis.

What happened during the study?

Researchers recruited children born less than 33 weeks gestational age into the ECHO Program shortly after they were born. When these children reached age two years, researchers conducted a neurodevelopmental assessment and a motor exam; parents completed questionnaires about their children’s behavior. ECHO researchers looked for patterns in these data to understand whether there were groups of children with similar strengths and weaknesses.

What happens next?

More research is needed to understand why some preterm children develop neurodevelopmental and/or behavioral problems and others do not. To do this, future studies may study risk factors in pregnancy, the perinatal period, and in early infancy.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes of very preterm infants: latent profile analysis in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program,” in Pediatric Research.

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Published September 12, 2023

Access the associated article.

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ECHO Researchers Characterize Children Born Preterm into Four Neurobehavioral Profiles

New ECHO Research Develops a National Exposure Index for Combined Environmental Hazards and Social Stressors

Posted on August 23, 2023March 31, 2025 by Jodi Snare

Collaborative ECHO research led by Sheena Martenies, PhD, MPH of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a national exposure index for easier analysis of multiple factors at once. This research, titled “Developing a National-Scale Exposure Index for Combined Environmental Hazards and Social Stressors and Applications to the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort,” is published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

There is growing interest in understanding the combined effect of multiple environmental hazards and social stressors on the health and development of children. While there are a number of tools for assessing these factors, they can be limiting when trying to analyze the cumulative effects of various exposures.

In this study, researchers developed a combined exposure index with national coverage that compiled data from several environmental and social indicators during prenatal and early-life periods. The data included variables such as air pollution and neighborhood socioeconomic status and analyzed how combined exposure to several factors during pregnancy may impact health.

The combined exposure index, which facilitated ECHO-wide analyses considering exposures to multiple neighborhood-level hazards and stressors at the same, differed by region. The level of combined exposure was highest in the western and northeastern regions of the United States. Researchers found that pregnant participants who identified as Black and Hispanic were more likely to have higher exposures to hazards compared to White and non-Hispanic participants. Exposure values were also higher for pregnant participants with lower educational attainment.

“Our study results complement those from a previous study that found these combined exposures were associated with a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes for some demographic groups,” Dr. Martenies said. “The results of these studies suggest there is a role for neighborhood quality in healthy pregnancy outcomes. More work is needed to identify interventions that might reduce prenatal exposures and improve pregnancy outcomes.”

Researchers may use this exposure index in future studies to look at how neighborhood features influence child health outcomes. Future studies would benefit from national datasets for key environmental health concerns, such as water contaminants and pesticides, and social stressors that may disproportionally affect certain groups.

Read the research summary.

NIH Study Suggests Association Between Prenatal Depression and Greater Autism-related Traits in Children

Posted on August 1, 2023August 27, 2025 by Jodi Snare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Children of mothers with prenatal depression had slightly more autism-related traits compared to those without that exposure, according to a study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program at the National Institutes of Health.

While this study didn’t explore why this association might exist, future research could investigate whether these findings reflect overlap in genetic risk for depression and autism-related traits or another mechanism.

Prior studies linked prenatal depression and depression history to autism spectrum disorder, but this study focused broadly on autism-related traits. By studying social communication and other autism-related traits, researchers can better understand how prenatal depression influences these traits, which may show up in children without an official diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

“Autism-related traits can significantly impact a child's physical, social, and psychological development, regardless of their clinical diagnosis. Screening and treating pregnant patients for depression and detecting autism-related traits in these children early on can lead to timely support of healthy development and outcomes for mothers and children,” said study author Lyndsay Avalos, PhD, MPH, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.

The analysis included 3,994 parent-child pairs with prenatal depression data and 1,730 pairs with depression severity data from 33 ECHO research sites across the United States. Autism-related traits were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) for children up to 12 years of age.

Dr. Avalos and Lisa Croen, PhD, also of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, led this collaborative research published in Autism Research.

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About ECHO: Launched in 2016, the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program is a research program in the Office of the Director at the NIH with the mission 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

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 @ECHOChildHealth for the latest ECHO Program updates on Twitter.

New ECHO Research Suggests Link Between Prenatal Depression and Autism-related Traits

Posted on August 1, 2023November 22, 2023 by Jodi Snare

Collaborative ECHO research led by Lyndsay A. Avalos, PhD and Lisa A. Croen, PhD of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research investigates the potential link between prenatal depression or a history of depression prior to pregnancy and autism-related traits in children. This research, titled “Prenatal Depression and Risk of Child Autism-Related Traits Among Participants in the Environmental influences On Child Health Outcomes Program,” is published in Autism Research.

Previous research suggests an association between prenatal depression or a history of depression prior to pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, but most studies have focused on a formal ASD diagnosis, rather than autism-related traits.

This study examined parent-child pairs at 33 prenatal and pediatric research sites in the United States. The primary analysis included 3,994 parent-child pairs with prenatal depression diagnosis data; a secondary analysis included 1,730 parent-child pairs with depression severity data. Children of mothers with prenatal depression had slightly more autism-related traits compared to those without. The association was similar among boys and girls. Prenatal depression also increased the likelihood of moderate to severe autism-related traits, indicating a higher likelihood of ASD diagnosis.

“Autism-related traits can significantly impact a child’s physical, social, and psychological development, regardless of their clinical diagnosis. Screening and treating pregnant patients for depression and detecting autism-related traits in these children early on can lead to timely support of healthy development and outcomes for mothers and children,” said study author Dr. Avalos.

This study adds to the understanding of how prenatal depression may be associated with neurodevelopment in children, such as social communication and behavioral characteristics that may not reach a clinical threshold but can still impact a child’s social and behavioral functioning. These findings highlight the need for early ASD screening for children whose parents had prenatal depression to promote early intervention and support their healthy development. Mental health screening and prevention efforts for depression in pregnant individuals could also be beneficial.

Read the research summary.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Research and New Opportunities from the ECHO Program

Posted on July 18, 2023April 3, 2025 by Jodi Snare

This month’s Connector showcases a recent ECHO study that explores the relationship between maternal exposure to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy and obesity risk among children. You can learn more about all recent ECHO PFAS studies on ECHOChildren.org’s PFAS research webpage.

Additionally, ECHO is searching for its next Deputy Director to help shape the future of child health research as part of the leadership team for this unique program. I invite you to share this opportunity with your networks. You can learn more here.

We are also pleased to announce our two newest notices of funding opportunities. The awards from these opportunities for postdoctoral fellows and doctoral candidates, respectively, both provide a chance to study child health outcomes by performing secondary analyses of ECHO’s large longitudinal data sets within the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) repository. The knowledge and experience generated by these two opportunities will help ECHO pursue its goal of providing a national resource.