Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)

A New Chapter

In 2016, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the Healthy Start Study the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) grant. This grant supports research at multiple sites, focusing on long-term studies of mother-child pairs to better understand how environmental factors affect health outcomes.

Why is this important?

This grant allows staff to continue follow-up with Healthy Start moms and children starting at 8 years of age. With help from institutions such as the NIH, investigators are able to continue vital longitudinal research. 

ECHO’s Mission

The goal of ECHO is to understand how genetic factors and environmental exposures during pregnancy and early childhood affect the health and development of children later in their lives.

Get Involved

Phase 1 of ECHO began in August 2019, and Phase 2 started in 2024. So far, we've conducted over 500 visits and are looking forward to many more.

You can schedule your research visit at ECHO 2.0: What to Expect.

Where can I find ECHO research?

Read ECHO Program Publications and Research Summaries.