News and Research Findings
from Across the ECHO Program
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ECHO Research Spotlight
Recent Research Results
News from NIH
Upcoming ECHO Discovery Webinar
Past ECHO Discovery Webinars: July
With a Childlike Wonder
| | Message from the NIH Program Office | | |
This issue of the ECHO Connector highlights advances in ECHO research focused on nutrition, obesity, and child health. We know that nutrition plays a critical role in health across the lifespan, and ECHO investigators conduct research that can inform programs, policies, and practices.
We are happy to announce the launch of the Phentermine's Impact on Treatment in Teens (PhITT) trial, an important milestone for the ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). This clinical trial focuses on obesity, which disproportionately affects rural or underserved communities. Investigators will evaluate whether long-term (6 months) use of daily phentermine is a safe, effective treatment option for adolescents aged 12–18 years with obesity. Phentermine is an inexpensive medication that is currently available for short-term use in adults to aid in weight loss. If successful, phentermine could provide a more affordable treatment alternative that is accessible in primary care settings, particularly in rural communities. As obesity treatments continue to evolve, identifying additional medical options beyond GLP-1 agonists is increasingly important for adolescents who do not achieve sufficient weight loss through lifestyle interventions alone.
Also featured in this issue is new ECHO Cohort research that looked at how following U.S. dietary guidelines during pregnancy was associated with differences in chemical exposures. You can learn more and explore additional ECHO nutrition research on our website.
We hope you enjoy this issue and encourage you to discover the many ways ECHO research is advancing our understanding of children's health.
| | Following U.S. Dietary Guidelines During Pregnancy May Be Linked to Differences in Chemical Exposure | | |
This ECHO study examined whether following the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans closely during pregnancy was linked to lower chemical exposures. Following the dietary guidelines—such as eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins—was generally associated with lower levels of some (but not all) chemicals commonly found in food packaging, cooking byproducts, and the environment. Eating more lean protein was the biggest factor related to lower levels of most chemicals. However, levels of one pesticide were slightly higher in participants who closely followed the guidelines and ate more fruits and vegetables and less added sugar.
| | Exposure to Metals During Pregnancy May Be Linked to Autism-Related Traits in Children | |
ECHO researchers looked at how exposure to certain metals during pregnancy was associated with autism-related traits or an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis in children. Higher levels of some metals—such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium—measured in mothers’ blood during pregnancy were linked to slightly more autism-related traits in children. One metal measured in mothers’ urine, barium, showed a stronger link among girls than boys to interest in social interaction.
| Exposure to Multiple Chemicals During Pregnancy Associated with Adverse Birth Outcomes | |
ECHO Investigators looked at the amount of chemicals women are exposed to during pregnancy and whether they affect birth outcomes such as length of pregnancy and birthweight. On average, researchers detected 45 of the 113 chemicals studied in urine samples from pregnant participants. Certain phthalates (used in plastics) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (found in air pollution and some foods) were linked to shorter pregnancies or lower birthweight for gestational age. Understudied chemicals, including halogenated phenols (used in antibacterial products) were also associated with lower birthweight for gestational age. Certain insecticides and benzophenones (found in sunscreen, laundry, and cleaning products) were associated with birth at a later gestational age or higher birthweight.
| ECHO Cohort Data Now Available in All of Us Researcher Workbench | |
The NIH ECHO Cohort public-use dataset is now available through the NIH All of Us Researcher Workbench, giving researchers access to one of the nation's richest longitudinal resources for studying early environmental influences on child health and development. The ECHO Cohort follows children from before birth to age 21, examining how influences from society to biology are associated with child health outcomes.
The dataset includes de-identified information from more than 80,000 participants—including 40,000 pregnancies—and spans demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, environmental exposures, pregnancy and birth information, child health and developmental measures, biospecimen assay results, and more.
Previously available through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) platform, these public-use ECHO Cohort data are now hosted in the All of Us Researcher Workbench, where investigators can access the data alongside powerful cloud-based analysis tools to accelerate discoveries in child health.
| New Funding Opportunities Available to Support Secondary Analyses of ECHO Cohort Data | |
The NIH ECHO Program Office released two new funding opportunities designed to maximize the scientific value of ECHO data:
* To access the full funding announcement, click the "Related Documents" tab at the top of each funding opportunity page.
These opportunities support doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows interested in advancing child health research through secondary analyses of ECHO’s rich, longitudinal data available within a controlled-access NIH data repository.
ECHO’s datasets integrate deidentified longitudinal data from more than 71,000 participants across the U.S. and focus on child health outcomes including pre-, peri- and postnatal outcomes; upper and lower airway health; obesity and its complications; neurodevelopment; and positive health.
Applications are due by October 15, 2026, for RFA-OD-27-006, and by December 2, 2026, for RFA-OD-27-008.
For full details on eligibility, scope, and how to apply, please visit the NIH ECHO website.
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ECHO Discovery
ECHO Discovery is a monthly webinar series of educational presentations for the ECHO community and anyone interested in environmental influences on child health.
| | Upcoming ECHO Discovery Webinar | | |
The next ECHO Discovery Webinar will take place on September 9, 2026, at 1pm ET.
The webinar will feature Jessie Buckley, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology, UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health and Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, presenting “Beyond the Usual Suspects: New Evidence on Priority Understudied Chemicals in ECHO.” Doctors Buckley and Woodruff will discuss how the ECHO Program advances research on priority understudied chemicals, including new findings linking prenatal exposures to birth outcomes in more than 5,000 pregnancies.
| | | | Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH | | Past ECHO Discovery Webinars | | |
July
Participation of Tribal Communities within ECHO–"Research With, Not On"
In July, Christine Hockett, PhD, of Avera Research Institute, Debra MacKenzie, PhD, of the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, and Rae O’Leary, MPH, of Avera Research Institute presented how Tribal communities contribute knowledge and perspectives to ECHO research while maintaining their rights as sovereign nations. Specifically, they shared how the Navajo Nation’s and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s involvement in the ECHO Cohort illustrates how culturally responsive partnerships, Tribal oversight, and data protections strengthen both the research and the communities involved.
| | | Forget the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup; here’s the sporting event of the summer. The annual World Dog Surfing Championships took place in California at the beginning of August. Dogs of all breeds and sizes, along with their humans, competed to catch as many waves as they could in 10 minutes. Judges evaluated the pups based on their technique, confidence, and style, along with the size of the waves they caught and the length of their rides. The World Dog Surfing Championships website and Instagram account has photos that are sure to put a smile on your face. They also share resources for teaching your own dog to surf! | | |
Rocket the Surf Dog
Credit: @WorldDogSurfing via Instagram
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