ECHO
Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) is a nationwide program to help understand how the environment and things that happen early in children’s lives—even before they are born—affect their development, health, and well-being. The environment includes: the air they breathe, foods they eat, interactions with other people, and the neighborhoods where they live. Looking at differences in genes, which are made of DNA, can help us learn how genes and the environment work together to affect children’s growth, development, and health before and after birth, throughout childhood, and into adulthood. Genes may affect how our bodies respond to the environment, and the environment may affect how our genes work.
The ECHO Program seeks to answer important childhood health questions. Some key questions are related to how the environment affects:
- Mothers’ and babies’ health before, during, and after pregnancy
- Children’s breathing problems and breathing-related illnesses
- Nutrition, physical activity, risks of being overweight, and weight-related illnesses
- Brain development, including the ability to think and understand, social development, speech attention, behavior, and emotions
- Overall health, the ability to handle life’s stresses, and general life satisfaction
Click here to learn more about this nationwide program.
Why Participate?
- The ECHO Program may help us learn things about health and wellbeing that could benefit children— including your children and grandchildren—in the years to come.
Who can participate?
- Individuals who are currently enrolled or have previously enrolled in in a CREW or CANOE study.
Procedures
Click each bullet to learn more about these procedures.
Questionnaires
We will ask you to complete questionnaires and other forms. You may be able to complete them on a computer or tablet, by mail, over the phone, or in-person. Completing questionnaires could take up to 2 hours but can be split-up at home or in-person depending on what works best for you
Cognitive test
You will be asked to take an IQ test that will look at language, attention, processing speed and memory.
Physical exam
Physical examinations will include height and weight, hip and waist circumference, a skin fold measurement, heart rate, and blood pressure.
We will ask to collect biological samples from you. We may collect samples during a study visit, or we may give you instructions and supplies to collect the biospecimens at home.
Blood
We will draw up to 1 tablespoon (15mL) of blood from you to look at the numbers and types of cells in your blood.
Stool
Stool samples will be used to examine the bacterial and fungal content.
Saliva
Saliva will be collected by having you hold a cotton swab in the mouth for 1-2 minutes. This sample will be used to look at your genes (DNA) in relationship to your health. You may not need to complete this sample if a DNA sample is collected from your blood
Compensation
- You will be compensated for your time and participation in the study.