Pregnancy Complications Like Preeclampsia and Gestational Diabetes May Be Linked to Slower Biological Development in Babies

Authors: Carrie Breton, Christine Ladd-Acosta, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

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

What were the study results?

The researchers found that babies who were exposed to preeclampsia or gestational diabetes while they were developing in the womb were biologically younger than babies without those exposures, indicating that these exposures may have slowed down babies’ biological development. This difference was more noticeable in female babies compared to male babies.

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?

In this study, researchers found that certain pregnancy complications are related to slower biological development at birth, with girls being more affected than boys. These results provide an important clue about how pregnancy complications can affect underlying biological processes in newborn infants, as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes have been linked to child health outcomes.

Why was the study needed?

Preeclampsia (high blood pressure that can cause kidney or other organ damage during pregnancy) and gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy) have been linked to a number of birth complications and children’s health outcomes, including birth weight. More research is needed to identify the biological processes in newborn babies that are affected by these pregnancy complications so doctors can use that information to provide treatments to improve children’s health. This study evaluated how pregnancy complications affect newborn infant’s epigenetic age, a measure of their “biological age” based on molecular markers in their cells.

Who was involved?

The study included 1,801 children from 12 ECHO cohorts across the United States. The participants were born between 1998 and 2008 to mothers who had preeclampsia or gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

What happened during the study?

ECHO researchers calculated each infant’s biological age by analyzing DNA samples collected at birth and compared their biological age (epigenetic age) to their chronological age at birth (measured in pregnancy weeks). Then, the researchers compared the biological ages of newborns exposed to pregnancy complications to the biological ages of babies who were not exposed.

What happens next?

The researchers will continue this research with a larger number of participants. They also plan to see whether the same biological changes detected at birth are related to health outcomes later in childhood.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Analysis of Pregnancy Complications and Epigenetic Gestational Age of Newborns,” in JAMA Network Open.

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

Published February 24, 2023

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Pregnancy Complications Like Preeclampsia and Gestational Diabetes May Be Linked to Slower Biological Development in Babies

ECHO Study Identifies Depression, Anxiety, and Other Drug Use as Risk Factors for Opioid Use During Pregnancy

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ECHO Study Identifies Depression, Anxiety, and Other Drug Use as Risk Factors for Opioid Use During Pregnancy

Authors: Ruby H.N. Nguyen, Monica McGrath, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

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

What were the study results?

Most of the participants who used opioids were non-Hispanic White and had at least some college education. Opioid use was more common among people who used tobacco or illegal drugs, and those with a history of depression or anxiety. Additionally, opioid use during pregnancy in this study was rare—only 2.8% of participants used opioids during pregnancy, and the majority of opioid use originated from a prescription.

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 is among the largest observational studies of opioid use during pregnancy thus far, and the diverse sample of pregnant participants is more representative of the U.S. population than previous studies. Results from this study strengthened evidence about the co-occurrence of opioid use in pregnancy with depression and use of multiple substances (such as tobacco and illegal drugs). These findings will help to inform further research on screening tools for opioid use during pregnancy. Additionally, the finding that most opioid use originated from prescriptions reinforces the need to reduce the amount of circulating prescription drugs and to better monitor over-prescription of opioids to pregnant women and provide them with alternative treatment solutions for pain management and opioid dependency.

Why was this study needed?

Opioids are a class of drugs used as prescription pain relievers that can cause dependence or addiction. The opioid crisis has disproportionately affected women, and use of these drugs can have detrimental effects on women of reproductive ages and on developing fetuses. Previous studies of opioid use during pregnancy have been limited to individuals in specific geographic locations or those with specific types of insurance. The stigmatization of this population has also complicated the collection of data on maternal opioid use during pregnancy. Using a large sample size, this study examined opioid use in a diverse population of pregnant women across the United States to investigate rare exposures – such as polysubstance use - and characteristics associated with opioid use during pregnancy.

Who was involved?

This study included over 20,000 pregnant participants from 32 ECHO cohorts across the U.S., creating a large and geographically diverse sample.

What happened during the study?

The researchers gathered data from pregnant women who were already participants in ECHO cohorts between 1991 and 2021. Medical records, laboratory tests, and self-reports were used to assess opioid use and potentially related factors, such as demographics, use of other substances, and history of anxiety or depression.

What happens next?

This study shows that further research is needed on the factors that may lead to use of multiple substances during pregnancy and the association between substance use and depression. This research can help inform the development of screening tools and procedures for identifying individuals who are potentially at risk for opioid use during pregnancy.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Characteristics of Individuals in the U.S. who Used Opioids during Pregnancy,” in the Journal of Women’s Health.

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

Published November 9, 2022

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ECHO Study Identifies Depression, Anxiety, and Other Drug Use as Risk Factors for Opioid Use During Pregnancy

ECHO Study Reveals Pregnant Women Are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

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ECHO Study Reveals Pregnant Women Are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

Authors: Giehae Choi, Jessie Buckley, Tracey Woodruff, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

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

What were the study results?

Melamine and cyanuric acid were found in over 99% of the study participants. Four types of aromatic amines were also found in nearly all pregnant participants. Levels of these chemicals were higher among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black participants and in those exposed to tobacco smoke. For example, levels of 3,4-dichloroaniline—a chemical used in the production of dyes and pesticides—were more than 100% higher among Black and Hispanic women compared to White women.

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 is the first national study to reveal that pregnant women in the U.S. are widely exposed to melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines—chemicals that may be harmful to maternal health and child development. This raises concerns for the health of pregnant women and babies.

Why was this study needed?

Chemicals like melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines are commonly used to make a variety of household products. Melamine can be found in dishware, plastics, flooring, kitchen counters, and pesticides. Cyanuric acid can be found in disinfectants, plastics, and swimming pools. And aromatic amines can be found in hair coloring, mascara, tattoo ink, paints, tobacco smoke, and diesel fumes. People can be exposed to these chemicals through the air, contaminated food, household dust, water, plastics, products that contain dyes and pigments, and many other sources.

Melamine was globally recognized as toxic after baby formula poisoning incidents in 2007 to 2008, which resulted in health problems in children including kidney stones, kidney failure, and in some cases, death. Research suggests that melamine may also be linked to reduced brain development. There is limited research on the effects of melamine on adults, although preliminary evidence suggests that it may be linked to cancer and other negative health outcomes. Prior studies on melamine were only conducted among pregnant women in Asian countries or limited to non-pregnant women in the U.S. Despite melamine’s potential harm and common use in household products, population-level exposure is not regularly monitored in the U.S.

Who was involved?

This study included 171 pregnant participants from nine ECHO cohorts located in California, Georgia, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, and Puerto Rico. Of these participants, 40% were Hispanic, 34% were White, 20% were Black, 4% were Asians, and the remaining 2% were from other or multiple racial groups.

What happened during the study?

Researchers measured the levels of 45 chemicals in urine samples collected from participants during pregnancy. They used new methods to capture the levels of these chemicals in the urine samples, even those present in small amounts. Then, the researchers compared chemical levels across participants with different sociodemographic backgrounds.

What happens next?

Researchers are expanding on this study to look at the effects of higher exposures to these chemicals during pregnancy in over 1,700 pregnant participants and investigate whether these exposures are linked with child health outcomes.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Exposure to melamine and its derivatives and aromatic amines among pregnant women in the United States: The ECHO Program,” in Chemosphere.

Published August 30, 2022

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ECHO Study Reveals Pregnant Women Are Exposed to Dangerous Chemicals Found in a Variety of Household Products

The Effect of Air Pollution on Time to Pregnancy

Posted on August 9, 2022December 5, 2023 by Jodi Snare

Collaborative ECHO research, led by Linda Kahn, PhD, MPH at NYU Langone Health, suggests traffic-related air pollution, secondhand smoke, and formaldehyde are associated with longer time to pregnancy. Specifically, exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen oxide gases lowered couples’ chances of becoming pregnant. Traffic and the burning of other types of materials besides gas and diesel, such as wildfires or other sources of combustion, create particulate matter and nitrogen oxide gases.

These results are based on a systematic review of 33 articles pertaining to air pollution and time to pregnancy, an indicator of a couple’s reproductive health. The team’s research, titled “Indoor and outdoor air pollution and couple fecundability: a systematic review,” is published in Human Reproduction Update.

Mounting evidence suggests an association between air pollution and longer time to pregnancy. The goal of this review was to compare results from previous studies and identify whether different types of pollution, such as pollution from traffic, chemicals in the workplace, and secondhand smoke, are consistently related to time to pregnancy.

To conduct this research, the team searched six science libraries and reviewed 33 relevant articles published in English between January 1, 1990 and February 11, 2021. Of these 33 articles, eight examined air quality, six looked at secondhand smoke exposure, and 19 studied air quality in the workplace. Researchers assigned each article a quality score based on the study design and extracted relevant data on time to pregnancy.

“This review shows that certain chemicals can increase the amount of time it takes for a couple to conceive, which may cause stress and lead them to seek fertility treatments,” said Dr. Kahn.

Researchers still need more insight into exactly how these chemicals affect reproduction. Future studies should be designed to collect more accurate exposure data, ideally from personal air monitors.

“Our team is still uncertain about whether the air people breathe around time of conception is most important or if there are certain life stages such as puberty when individuals may be especially susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution,” Dr. Kahn added.

The ECHO Program will provide a useful framework for collecting more detailed information on how chemical exposures across the life course affect reproduction.

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ECHO researchers study the effects of neighborhood environmental and social conditions on pregnancy and infant health

Posted on August 8, 2022April 29, 2025 by Jodi Snare

Collaborative ECHO research led by Sheena Martenies, PhD, MPH of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign investigates the combined effects of environmental hazards and social stressors on pregnancy and infant health. This research included information on more than 13,000 infants born between 2010 and 2019 from 41 ECHO cohorts located throughout the United States. In this study, researchers found that pregnant women living in neighborhoods with higher combined exposures had shorter pregnancies and smaller babies. This research, titled “Associations between combined exposure to environmental hazards and social stressors at the neighborhood level and individual perinatal outcomes in the ECHO-wide cohort,” is published in Health & Place.

Previous studies have found that neighborhood conditions can influence pregnancy and infant health, but few have examined the effects of exposure to a combination of environmental and social conditions. It is important to look at multiple exposures simultaneously because this more closely mirrors real-world experiences. There are existing tools for looking at combined exposures to environmental hazards and social stressors in neighborhoods, but they either do not have national coverage or they do not cover the time frames needed.

ECHO researchers developed an exposure index which combined data on multiple environmental hazards and social circumstances—including air pollutants, vehicle traffic, poverty, and crowded housing—into a single measure of neighborhood conditions. Pregnant participants were assigned an index score based on where they lived during their pregnancy. Then, the researchers looked at how this index score was associated with birthweight, length of pregnancy, and other pregnancy outcomes.

The researchers found that pregnant women living in neighborhoods with higher combined exposures had shorter pregnancies and smaller babies. For Black pregnant participants, there was a higher risk of preterm birth associated with increased combined exposures during pregnancy compared to White pregnant participants. The researchers also found that pregnant participants living in rural areas had shorter pregnancies and smaller babies compared to pregnant participants living in urban areas who had similar index scores.

More research is needed to determine which factors included in the exposure index are most important in pregnancy and child health outcomes. Some members of the research team are currently studying data from two ECHO cohorts (Healthy Start and MADRES) to explore how neighborhood-level exposures might interact to influence obesity later in life.

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ECHO Study Suggests Air Pollution, Secondhand Smoke, Formaldehyde Exposure Affect Length of Time to Get Pregnant

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ECHO Study Suggests Air Pollution, Secondhand Smoke, Formaldehyde Exposure Affect Length of Time to Get Pregnant

Author(s): Eva Siegel, Linda Kahn, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, the Office of the Director, the National Institutes of Health, with co-funding from the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR).

What were the study results?

The strongest evidence points to an association between exposures to traffic-related air pollution, secondhand smoke, and a chemical called formaldehyde—a common workplace exposure in construction sites and nail salons—and longer time to pregnancy. Specifically, exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen oxide gases lowered couples’ chances of becoming pregnant. Traffic and the burning of other types of materials besides gas and diesel create particulate matter and nitrogen oxide gases. Volatile organic compounds, which are used in manufacturing processes, did not appear to affect time to pregnancy.

What was the study's impact?

This review suggests that certain chemicals in the air may lengthen the time it takes for couples to become pregnant. More research is needed to better understand how these chemicals affect reproductive health. To collect this information, future studies can provide participants with personal air monitors that can let researchers know about the quality of air participants are actually breathing instead of relying on imprecise data from outdoor monitors or participant recall.

The research team also pointed out that there are remaining questions about whether the air people breathe around the time of conception is what matters most or whether there are certain life stages, such as puberty, when being exposed to air pollution may be especially damaging. The ECHO-wide Cohort, which allows researchers to access information from a large and diverse population, can serve as an important resource for answering these questions.

Why was this study needed?

Previous studies have looked at how air pollution may affect how long it takes to become pregnant. Time to pregnancy is a measure used to estimate a couple’s ability to conceive and is commonly used to diagnose infertility. In this paper, the authors review past studies on air pollution to identify types of air pollutants—including pollution from traffic, chemicals in the workplace, and secondhand smoke—that might affect how long it takes to get pregnant.

Who was involved?

This review includes all papers published in English on this topic from January 1, 1990 to February 11, 2021. The analysis covered 33 articles, of which eight looked at outdoor air quality, six looked at secondhand smoke exposure, and 19 looked at air quality in the workplace.

What happened during the study?

The research team searched six leading science libraries and identified 33 human studies related to exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollutants and time to pregnancy. The team read each article, assigned it a score based on the quality of the study design, and created summary tables containing the most important findings of each study. They then compared the consistency of results between studies, especially among high-quality papers, about whether certain types of air pollution affected time to pregnancy.

What happens next?

This is the third review this team of authors has written on chemicals and time to pregnancy. Individual authors will continue to fill in the research gaps previously mentioned, including conducting studies where women will be wearing personal air monitors.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Indoor and outdoor air pollution and couple fecundability: a systematic review” in Human Reproduction Update.

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

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Published July 27, 2022

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ECHO Study Suggests Air Pollution, Secondhand Smoke, Formaldehyde Exposure Affect Length of Time to Get Pregnant

Study Reveals Rising Levels of Plastics, Pesticides, and Replacement Chemicals in Pregnant Women

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Study Shows Rising Levels of Plastics, Pesticides, and Replacement Chemicals in Pregnant Women

Authors: Jessie P. Buckley, Tracey J. Woodruff, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

What were the study results?

Most of the chemicals were found in at least one of the women in the study and about a third of the chemicals were found in greater than half of the participants. One fifth of the chemicals were detected in over 90% of the pregnant women indicating widespread exposure to the chemicals measured.

The study found some chemicals were detected more often or were present in higher amounts in non-white women, those with lower education, those who were single, and those exposed to tobacco. Hispanic women had higher levels of some chemicals not included in previous biomonitoring studies including parabens (preservatives) as well as phthalates and bisphenols (from plastics).

The study found that levels of some of the chemicals used as replacements for more toxic ones that were banned or phased out, increased over time and were present in higher amounts than have been seen in previous studies. The levels of several phased out chemicals were found to remain stable or decrease over time.

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 is the largest study to date to measure exposure to a wide variety of environmental chemicals in a diverse group of pregnant women across the U.S. The results of this study highlight the widespread and unequal exposure of pregnant women to chemicals from air pollution, food, water, plastics, and other industrial and consumer products.

Why was this study needed?

There is little data on exposure of pregnant women to many pesticides and industrial chemicals, even those that could be harmful during pregnancy and throughout childhood development.

Who was involved?

The study included 171 women from five U.S. states and Puerto Rico who were part of an ECHO cohort. Of these women, 60% were Black or Hispanic.

What happened during the study?

Research team members measured 89 biomarkers for more than 100 chemicals in urine samples from pregnant women in nine ECHO cohorts. Most of the chemicals can be found in pesticides, plastics, sunscreens, personal care products, and flame retardants. Many of the chemicals measured are replacement chemicals: chemicals meant to replace other harmful chemicals (e.g., BPA, phthalates). The team used a new method that measured multiple chemicals in a single urine sample to determine if pregnant women were exposed to the chemicals. The researchers then studied how different factors—such as age, race, education level, and the year the sample was collected—related to the levels of chemicals found.

What happens next?

The research team will continue to study exposures in a larger, diverse population of pregnant women (more than 6,500) to see whether these prenatal chemical exposures are linked to negative birth outcomes. This data will be important for understanding the factors that may contribute to additional negative health effects during pregnancy and childhood.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article titled, “Exposure to contemporary and emerging chemicals in commerce among pregnant women in the United States: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program” in Environment Science & Technology.

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

Published May 10, 2022

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Study Reveals Rising Levels of Plastics, Pesticides, and Replacement Chemicals in Pregnant Women

ECHO Study Identifies Biological, Behavioral, and Social Factors Affecting Pregnancy Health

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ECHO Study Identifies Biological, Behavioral, and Social Factors Affecting Pregnancy Health

Authors: Stephanie Eick, Rachel Morello-Frosch, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

What were the study results?

Pregnant participants who were over 30 years old and had a college degree had lower levels of oxidative stress. Levels of oxidative stress were higher among pregnant participants who were overweight or obese and unmarried. Also, current smokers or those with less than a high school education had higher levels of a oxidative stress biomarker. These results help identify how social, biologic, and behavioral factors may contribute to poor health in mothers and children.

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 is the largest study to date looking at the relationship between biological, social, and behavioral factors and oxidative stress during pregnancy. The results of this study provide important clues into how socioeconomic inequalities can contribute to poor health in pregnant women. This study may also inform future studies looking at risk factors for preterm birth.

Why was this study needed?

There is little data on what can cause oxidative stress during pregnancy. Oxidative stress is a process that can trigger cell damage and it is thought to play a role in the development of some diseases. By identifying biological, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors in a mother’s day-to-day life that may lead to increased risk for oxidative stress, research can help inform the development of targeted strategies for the prevention of poor prenatal health outcomes.

Who was involved?

This study involved approximately 2,000 pregnant participants in the mainland United States and Puerto Rico who were enrolled in one of four ECHO cohorts.

What happened during the study?

Researchers collected urine samples from participants and measured the levels of biomarkers for oxidative stress. Researchers calculated how levels of oxidative stress biomarkers changed in response to biological, behavioral, and social factors. Maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, marital/partnered status, parity, and smoking status were included as biological and behavioral factors while race/ethnicity, maternal education, and stressful life events were considered social factors.

What happens next?

The research team is examining the impact of oxidative stress on adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth.

Where can I learn more?

The full journal article, titled “Associations between social, biologic, and behavioral factors and biomarkers of oxidative stress during pregnancy: Findings from four ECHO cohorts” is published in Science of the Total Environment.

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

Published April 29, 2022

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ECHO Study Identifies Biological, Behavioral, and Social Factors Affecting Pregnancy Health

Obesity and Diabetes During Pregnancy Linked to Higher Risk of Autism-Related Traits in Children

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Obesity and Diabetes During Pregnancy Linked to Higher Risk of Autism-Related Traits in Children

Authors: Kristen Lyall, Christine Ladd-Acosta, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health.

What were the study results?

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. Neither preterm birth or low birth weight, which are common complications of obesity and gestational diabetes, did not seem to drive the associations with these pregnancy conditions.

What was the study's impact?

Obesity and gestational diabetes are common pregnancy conditions, so understanding their impact on the developing child is an important public health issue. This study suggests that these conditions may increase the likelihood of ASD-related traits, highlighting the need for better prenatal care and more monitoring of pregnant women experiencing conditions like obesity.

Why was this study needed?

Many studies have linked childhood autism diagnosis back to maternal health conditions during pregnancy—like obesity, gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy), gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy), and preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy and signs of kidney/liver damage). But less is known about how these conditions may relate to subtler changes in child social development. This research looks at how risk factors of obesity, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia relate to autism-related traits like social communication more broadly.

Who was involved?

This study included nearly 7,000 participants from 40 ECHO cohorts across the United States. Eight of these cohorts included participants considered to be at higher risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on known risk factors. The study only included cohorts that collected information on at least one of the four pregnancy conditions listed above and child social development/autism-related behaviors. Children were between the ages of 2.5-18 years, with an average age of approximately 8 years old.

What happened during the study?

The research team pulled together information on maternal health conditions during pregnancy, maternal age, child social development/autism-related behaviors, and participant demographics. They then examined the relationship between each pregnancy condition, separately and in combination, and child social development outcomes.

What happens next?

More work is needed to determine the underlying biologic and social mechanisms linking maternal obesity to child social behaviors and autism.

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Cardiometabolic pregnancy complications in association with autism-related traits as measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale in ECHO” in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

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

Published March 31, 2022

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Obesity and Diabetes During Pregnancy Linked to Higher Risk of Autism-Related Traits in Children

Informed Mothers More Likely to Engage in Collective Action, Reduce Family- and Community-Level Chemical Exposures

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Informed Mothers More Likely to Engage in Collective Action, Reduce Family- and Community-Level Chemical Exposures

Authors: Amy Padula, Rachel Morello-Frosch, et al.

Who sponsored this study?

This research was supported by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program, the Office of the Director, and the National Institutes of Health.

What were the study results?

This study found that participants knew about the dangers of chemical exposures and were motivated to act to protect the health of their families and communities, although they have busy family lives, and the pandemic has further prevented them from participating in collective action. Participants requested strategies that were time-efficient and included straightforward, accessible information on how to reduce exposures at the personal and community level.

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?

Researchers have an opportunity to directly learn from participants about how to improve the way in which chemical exposure results are reported in future studies. Report-back systems, or ways that study results are returned to participants, can present valuable information for participants about environmental health and how to lower chemical exposures in their homes and communities, and hold policy makers responsible for protecting parents and children from harmful chemical exposures. Researchers can use tools like the Digital Exposure Report Back Interface (DERBI) to give their participants access to individualized chemical results with information about how to take individual and collective action to reduce exposures.

Why was this study needed?

Participants in chemical exposure studies who receive reports on their personal exposures often look for information to reduce those exposures. Many chemical exposures are the result of policies, regulations, and practices, not individual behaviors and lifestyles. Individuals can address those policies and regulations through collective action, which is working with others to reach a common goal. Researchers wanted to understand the role of personal exposure reports in a participant’s interest in engagement in collective action.

Who was involved?

In summer 2020, the researchers held three online focus groups in English and Spanish with a diverse group of 18 participants from pregnancy cohorts in Illinois and California.

What happened during the study?

This study aimed to understand how much participants know about sources of potentially harmful chemical exposures and their experience and interest in participating in collective action. Focus group participants talked about some of the barriers and strategies to participating in collective action, and their preferences for receiving and using their personalized reports about environmental chemical exposures. Input from these focus groups can be used to help design tools and content to report results of exposure research to ECHO participants.

What happens next?

The researchers are currently studying participant surveys from before and after participants received their chemical exposure reports to learn more about how participants use DERBI. These surveys may also reveal how DERBI reports may influence participant efforts to reduce exposure in their homes and communities through collective action.

Where can I learn more?

More information about the Digital Exposure Report Back Interface (DERBI) can be found on the Silent Spring Institute website.

Access the full journal article, titled “Perspectives of peripartum people on opportunities for personal and collective action to reduce exposure to everyday chemicals: Focus groups to inform exposure report-back” 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 March 26, 2022

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Informed Mothers More Likely to Engage in Collective Action, Reduce Family- and Community-Level Chemical Exposures