Mom and daughter

ECHO focuses on five areas of children’s health


mother and chold
Pregnancy & Birth

How does a pregnant person’s environment before, during, and after pregnancy affect their health and the health of their babies?  Recent studies have looked at the different types of chemicals pregnant people are exposed to and how opioid use affects pregnancy.

mother holding newborn infant
Breathing

How does a child’s environment affect the way they breathe?  Some researchers are looking into the relationship between neighborhoods and the occurrence of asthma in children.

mother and daugher in park
Body Weight

How does a child’s environment impact their weight and nutrition?  Previous ECHO studies have explored how children’s body mass index (BMI) changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the adoption of a school meal program.

mother hugging toddler sitting on a couch
Brain Development

How does a child’s environment affect how their brain develops?  Many of the ECHO studies are trying to understand what environmental factors could affect a child’s risk for autism-related traits or may contribute to behavior problems.

dad and child
Well Being

How does a child’s environment affect their overall well-being?  Some studies have looked into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected children’s health behaviors or how a child’s health condition influences their overall health and life satisfaction.

Researchers from UPenn and CHOP have joined together to support a NIH program called ECHO: Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes.

Focus Areas
pregnancy Pregnancy and Birth breathing icon Breathing Body Weight icon Body Weight Brain Development icon Brain Development Well Being icon Well Being