News and Research Findings
from Across the ECHO Program
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Register Now: 2026 NIH ECHO Science to Action Symposium
ECHO Research Spotlight
Recent Research Results
Upcoming ECHO Discovery Webinar
Past ECHO Discovery Webinars: February and January
With a Childlike Wonder
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As the ECHO Program moves into 2026, we continue to deepen our understanding of how environmental exposures during pregnancy and childhood influence health outcomes. By studying these early windows of development, ECHO helps identify opportunities for action that strengthen trajectories of health throughout kids’ lives.
On May 6, 2026, ECHO will host the 2nd annual ECHO Translating Science to Action Symposium, a hybrid event that this year focuses on plastics and air quality, highlighting how evidence on these widespread exposures can inform programs, policy, and practice. Feedback on our inaugural Symposium in 2025 was highly positive, and we’ll build on that momentum in this and coming years.
The symposium underscores ECHO’s role in both maximizing scientific insights and translating evidence into action. You can read more about the event in this issue of the Connector, and I hope you'll register to attend.
I look forward to continuing to engage with you—our research community and partners—to enhance child health in 2026 and beyond.
Matthew Gillman, MD, SM
Director of the ECHO Program
| | Register Now: 2026 NIH ECHO Science to Action Symposium | | |
Registration is now open for the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Translating Science to Action Symposium taking place on May 6, 2026. This free event will bring together researchers, policymakers, health professionals, and advocates to examine how chemical exposures affect child health and development and how science is being translated into meaningful action.
The symposium will focus on two critical areas of chemical exposure: plastics and air quality. Through expert-led sessions and a crosscutting panel discussion, participants will explore how evidence on chemical exposures can inform and is informing programs, policy, and practice. Panelists will also address strategies for building trust and communicating scientific findings to policymakers, health care providers, parents, and communities.
This is a hybrid event, with a robust in-person experience designed to support connection and collaboration. Attendees joining onsite will have the opportunity to engage and network at interactive information stations hosted by researchers, advocates, professional organizations, and community partners with the first session beginning at 8:30am ET.
Whether you attend in person or virtually, the symposium offers evidence-based insights and practical perspectives to support healthier futures for children.
Register today, and visit the website to explore the full agenda and speaker lineup.
| | The Role of Social Media in Youth Mental Health | | |
At the February ECHO Discovery Webinar, Courtney Blackwell, PhD, MEd, of Northwestern University, presented ECHO research on social media and youth mental health. Dr. Blackwell shared early results from an ongoing study of social media use and mental health in the 8-12-year-old age group. Though these children are technically too young to make accounts on social media platforms, they still use them. The study conducted a nationwide survey of more than 4,700 8-12-year-olds, and approximately 2/3 said they’ve used social media. Some started using social media as young as 5 years old. The data showed that 9% of the children surveyed met the criteria for problematic social media use. Research and analysis of the influence of social media use on this age group’s mental health are still in progress.
In the past, Dr. Blackwell led research on how adolescents ages 13-18 use social media and mental health. This study found that more hours spent using social media, as well as having poor peer relationships, increased the risk of poor mental health. However, adolescents with good peer relationships were more likely to have positive mental health, regardless of time spent using social media.
| | Nutrition Topic of Interest Video | | |
Nutrition can influence a child’s health from before birth through adulthood. To learn more about how early-life nutrition affects long-term health, the ECHO Cohort Consortium collects long-term data on diet and dietary habits during pregnancy and childhood from a large group of participants. This video about ECHO’s nutrition research features Monique Hedderson, PhD, and Rana Chehab, PhD, MPH, RD. They discuss how factors like diet, exercise, and sleep during pregnancy and childhood affect children throughout their lives, and how ECHO studies the relationships between these factors and health outcomes.
| | Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy May be Associated with Increased Childhood Blood Pressure | |
This study found that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, whether occasionally or regularly, were more likely to have higher blood pressure and hypertension (higher than normal blood pressure at three or more doctors’ visits). This study reinforces that smoking during pregnancy is a risk factor for increased childhood blood pressure and hypertension. The results underscore the importance of smoking reduction during pregnancy for children’s heart health.
| Home Conditions and Outdoor Air Pollution May Together Influence Children’s Asthma Risk | |
The ECHO Cohort brought together data from many sites across the country to provide a clearer picture of how different environmental factors may influence childhood asthma. The study found that several environmental exposures during early childhood were linked to asthma risk. Exposure to ambient fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with an increased risk of developing asthma. In addition, water damage or dampness in the home was also linked to a higher asthma risk, even after accounting for PM2.5 exposure, indicating an independent effect. In contrast, having a dog in the home during infancy was associated with a reduced risk of childhood asthma.
| Early Life Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Linked to Higher Childhood Blood Pressure, while Prenatal Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide Associated with Lower Blood Pressure | |
Air pollutants such as fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are emitted from vehicles, power plants, and industrial processes. These pollutants are known contributors to heart disease in adults. This study looked at the relationship between fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure and children’s blood pressure. Children aged between 5 and 12 years who were exposed to more fine particulate matter air pollution before and after birth had slightly higher blood pressure on average. When their mothers were exposed to more nitrogen dioxide air pollution during pregnancy, children had unexpectedly lower blood pressure. Overall, this study’s findings suggest that the time when pollution exposure during pregnancy occurs affects children’s blood pressure later in life.
| Exposure to Chemicals in Consumer and Industrial Products Associated with Pregnancy Length, Stress, and Birth Outcomes | |
ECHO examined the ways that maternal stress, such as anxiety, depression, and adverse childhood experiences may influence the effects of chemical exposures during pregnancy. Exposure to chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenols, and insecticides was associated with shorter pregnancies among women who experienced anxiety during pregnancy or the early postpartum period. Additionally, the effects of chemicals, such as low birthweight, were strongest among women who experienced depression and anxiety.
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ECHO Discovery
ECHO Discovery is a monthly webinar series of educational presentations for the ECHO community and anyone else interested in environmental influences on child health. Keep an eye on the ECHO Discovery webpage for upcoming webinars, as well as content from past ones.
| | Upcoming ECHO Discovery Webinar | | |
The next ECHO Discovery Webinar will take place on March 11, 2026 at 1pm ET.
The webinar will feature Alicia Peterson, PhD, of Kaiser Permanente Northern California presenting "Early Life PFAS Exposure and Child Health: Evidence from the NIH ECHO Cohort." Her presentation will explore the current state of knowledge by reviewing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and child health research within the ECHO Program. It will also highlight the PFAS data available through ECHO, summarize key findings from ECHO-supported studies, and examine evidence linking prenatal and early life PFAS exposure to a range of health outcomes.
| | Past ECHO Discovery webinars | | |
February
The Kids Are(n't) Alright: The Role of Social Media in Youth Mental Health
In February, Courtney Blackwell, PhD, MEd, of Northwestern University, presented on the parallel rise of youth mental health problems and social media use. Dr. Blackwell reviewed what we know about the connection between youth social media use and mental health outcomes and highlighted recent ECHO studies on the topic. She also shared insights about how ECHO’s data on media use can inspire future research.
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January
Incorporating Early Life Micronutrient Status in ECHO Studies of Neurodevelopment
In January, Jean Kerver, PhD, MSc, RD, of Michigan State University, presented on the impacts of suboptimal micronutrient consumption in the U.S. population. Dr. Kerver discussed micronutrient biomarkers, impacts on brain development, and interactions between nutrients and environmental toxins.
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Who among us hasn’t done some exploring using Google Maps Street View? This website, called Wonders of Street View randomly drops you at a selection of weird, wacky, and wonderful landmarks around the world via Street View. Click the “Random” button in the top right to go somewhere new.
During my exploration, my favorite stops were a ferry full of Panda statues in Hong Kong (pictured), a field of pink moss in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, and the South Pole in Antarctica.
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