Prenatal exposure to organophosphate ester flame retardants and behavioral outcomes in early childhood in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort.

Background: Prenatal exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs) has been linked to neurotoxic effects in children; however, epidemiological evidence remains inconclusive. We investigated associations of prenatal OPE exposure with child behaviors.

Methods: We analyzed data of 2948 mother-child dyads from 12 prospective cohorts of the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort.

Prenatal exposure to phthalates and alternative plasticizers and emotional and behavioral outcomes in early childhood in the Environmental influences on Child Health outcomes (ECHO) cohort.

Background: Evidence suggests prenatal phthalate exposure adversely affects children's behavior. However, epidemiological studies on alternative plasticizers remain scarce. This study investigated associations of gestational exposure to phthalates and alternative plasticizers with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children aged 1.

Exposures to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals among Children Aged 2 to 4 Years in the United States Environmental Influences on the Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Cohort.

Prenatal and early life exposure to environmental chemicals can increase the risk of multiple adverse child health outcomes. However, biomonitoring data for young children remain limited. This study leveraged the nationwide Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort to assess chemical exposures in 201 children aged 2-4 years between 2010 and 2021.

Adverse Birth Outcomes Associated with Heat Stress and Wildfire Smoke Exposure During Preconception and Pregnancy.

We investigated associations between preconception and prenatal heat stress and wildfire (WF) smoke exposures on adverse birth outcomes and whether neighborhood climate vulnerability is an effect modifier in the Maternal And Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social stressors cohort ( = 713). Generalized linear models were fit to test the association between exposures and small-for-gestational-age (SGA), low birthweight (LBW), and Fenton growth -score outcomes, adjusting for confounders. Living in a high climate vulnerability index neighborhood was tested as an effect modifier.

Racial/ethnic-derived maternal diets predict birth outcomes better than a diet derived from a combined sample among Hispanic/Latina and non-Hispanic White pregnant individuals in the ECHO Cohort.

Little is known about diet based on maternal fasting blood glucose (FBG) and birth outcomes in diverse populations. We hypothesized that racial/ethnic-derived FBG-based diets would predict birth outcomes better than a diet derived from the overall sample. Pregnant Hispanic/Latina (n = 420) and non-Hispanic White (n = 564) individuals (combined, n=984) from two Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohorts provided ≥ 1 24-h diet recalls.

Exposure to organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticizers during pregnancy and autism-related outcomes in the ECHO Cohort.

Background: Organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticizers (OPEs) have myriad uses in industry and consumer products. Increasing human exposure to OPEs has raised concerns about their potential effects on child neurodevelopment during pregnancy.

Objective: We investigated whether OPE urinary concentrations during pregnancy were associated with child autism-related outcomes.

Blood Pressure and Late Pregnancy Circulating miRNAs in the MADRES Study.

Background: Circulating extracellular and vesicle particle (EVP) miRNAs have been associated with cardiovascular risk and adverse birth outcomes. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) increase risk for adverse birth outcomes and future cardiovascular outcomes in mothers and children and have been associated with altered maternal circulating EVP miRNA levels during pregnancy. Whether these relationships exist for elevated blood pressure (BP) in the subclinical range is unknown.

Prenatal ambient air pollution associations with DNA methylation in asthma- and allergy-relevant genes: findings from ECHO.

Prenatal exposure to air pollution is an important risk factor for child health outcomes, including asthma. Identification of DNA methylation changes associated with air pollutant exposure can provide new intervention targets to improve children's health. The aim of this study is to test the association between prenatal air pollutant exposure and DNA methylation in developmental and asthma-/allergy-relevant biospecimens (placenta, buccal, cord blood, nasal mucosa, and lavage).

Maternal Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Pregnancy and Offspring Blood Pressure at Age 2 to 18 Years.

Importance: Higher blood pressure in early life may signal cardiovascular disease over the life course, but determinants of blood pressure in early life are poorly understood.

Objective: To examine the association of maternal cardiometabolic risk factors during pregnancy with offspring blood pressure from age 2 to 18 years and explore whether the association is modified by offspring sex and race and ethnicity.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study analyzed data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program between January 1, 1994, and March 31, 2023.

Childhood Exposure to Air Pollution, Body Mass Index Trajectories, and Insulin Resistance Among Young Adults.

Importance: Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution affects children's glucose metabolism. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

Objective: To investigate whether body mass index (BMI; calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared) growth trajectories mediate the association between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and insulin resistance.

Dysregulated maternal and newborn fatty acid, sugar and amino acid metabolism associated with high birth weight.

Objective: This study aims to find maternal and neonatal metabolomic signatures that contribute to the adverse birthweight outcomes including abnormally high and low birth weight. We also investigated the role of metabolomic signatures in the associations of maternal risk factors such as parity and gestational weight gain with adverse birthweight outcomes.

Methods: Ninety-six pregnant women and their newborns from the MADRES prospective cohort were studied.

Neighborhood deprivation and iodine levels influence air pollution effects on maternal thyroid function in early pregnancy.

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy that disrupts thyroid function can lead to adverse health outcomes in mother and child. We evaluated the overall effect and critical exposure window of residential ambient air pollution exposures on thyroid function in the MADRES pregnancy cohort. We also investigated whether these associations varied by iodine deficiency status and neighborhood deprivation.

Maternal metabolomics linking prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter and birth weight: a cross-sectional analysis of the MADRES cohort.

Background: Prenatal exposure to air pollution has been associated with an increased risk of low birth weight. Disrupted metabolism may serve as an underlying mechanism, but the specific metabolic pathways involved remain unclear.

Methods: In the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) study, 382 third-trimester maternal serum samples were analyzed for untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography with Fourier transform high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Gestational Blood Pressure Trajectories and 5-Year Postpartum Hypertension Risk in the MADRES Study.

Background: Blood pressure (BP) changes during pregnancy, but less is known about heterogeneous changing patterns within a population and long-term hypertension risk.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify distinct gestational systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectories and examine their association with postpartum hypertension risk.

Methods: The MADRES (Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors) (2015-present) cohort followed 854 pregnant individuals from early pregnancy to 5 years postpartum and collected information on demographics, lifestyle, and medical records, including BP at each prenatal visit.

Prenatal Psychosocial Stressors and Blood Pressure Across 4 Years Postpartum.

Background: Psychosocial stress is a cardiovascular risk factor; however, little is known about whether prenatal psychosocial stressors influence postpartum cardiovascular health. We aimed to examine the associations of multiple measures of prenatal psychosocial stress on maternal blood pressure (BP) in the first 4 years after birth.

Methods: Among 225 MADRES cohort (Maternal and Developmental Risks From Environmental and Social Stressors) participants, we examined associations of average prenatal Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scores, and second-trimester neighborhood social cohesion scores on systolic and diastolic BP collected at annual postpartum study visits (1-4 years) using linear mixed-effects models, adjusted for covariates.

A Latent Trait-based Measure as a Data Harmonization and Missing Data Solution Applied to the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort.

Background: Collaborative research consortia provide an efficient method to increase sample size, enabling evaluation of subgroup heterogeneity and rare outcomes. In addition to missing data challenges faced by all cohort studies like nonresponse and attrition, collaborative studies have missing data due to differences in study design and measurement of the contributing studies.

Methods: We extend ROSETTA, a latent variable method that creates common measures across datasets collecting the same latent constructs with only partial overlap in measures, to define a common measure of socioeconomic status (SES) across cohorts with varying indicators in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort, a consortium of pregnancy and pediatric cohorts.

Perceived Stress During Late Pregnancy and Infant Body Composition at 1 Month.

Context: Worldwide, obesity remains one of the most challenging crises with children being one of the most susceptible populations. The effect of maternal stress during pregnancy on newborn body composition, measured by fat mass and lean mass has, not been extensively studied.

Objectives: We evaluated the association between perceived stress during late pregnancy and infant adiposity at 1 month and assessed effect modification by infant sex and preterm birth.

Children's executive functioning and health behaviors across pediatric life stages and ecological contexts.

Executive functioning (EF) has been linked to chronic disease risk in children. Health behaviors are thought to partially explain this association. The current cross-sectional study evaluated specific domains of EF and varied health behaviors in three pediatric life stages.

Co-occurring Psychopathology in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Differences by Sex in the ECHO Cohorts.

Purpose: Our goals were to: 1) examine the occurrence of behavioral and emotional symptoms in children on the autism spectrum in a large national sample, stratifying by sex, and 2) evaluate whether children with increased autism-related social communication deficits also experience more behavioral and emotional problems.

Methods:  Participants (n = 7,998) were from 37 cohorts from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Cross-sectional information on demographic factors, parent-report of an ASD diagnosis by clinician, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scores, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores were obtained for children aged 2.

Spatial and temporal determinants of particulate matter peak exposures during pregnancy and early postpartum.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) exposure is an important environmental risk for maternal and children's health, with peak exposures especially those derived from primary combustion hypothesized to pose greater risk. Identifying PM peaks and their contributions to personal exposure remains challenging. This study measured personal PM exposure, characterized primary combustion peaks, and investigated their determinants during and after pregnancy and among Hispanic women in Los Angeles, CA.

EV-miRNA associated with environmental air pollution exposures in the MADRES cohort.

Air pollution is a hazardous contaminant, exposure to which has substantial consequences for health during critical periods, such as pregnancy. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an epigenetic mechanism that modulates transcriptome responses to the environment and has been found to change in reaction to air pollution exposure. The data are limited regarding extracellular-vesicle (EV) miRNA variation associated with air pollution exposure during pregnancy and in susceptible populations who may be disproportionately exposed.

Gestational exposure to organophosphate ester flame retardants and risk of childhood obesity in the environmental influences on child health outcomes consortium.

Introduction: Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are increasing in use as flame retardants and plasticizers and concerns have been raised given their endocrine-disrupting activities and possible obesogenic consequences. However, longitudinal studies on gestational OPE exposure and childhood obesity are scarce. This study examined whether OPE levels in maternal urine during pregnancy were associated with the risk of childhood obesity.

Impact of childhood exposure to traffic related air pollution on adult cardiometabolic health: Exploring the role of perceived stress.

Background: Little is known about how childhood exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and stress interact to affect adults' cardiometabolic health. We examined this interaction and assessed the impact of over 10 years of childhood TRAP exposure on cardiometabolic health.

Methods: From 2018 to 2023, 313 young adults from the Southern California Children's Health Study were enrolled in a follow-up assessment.

Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity.

Importance: Limited access to healthy foods, resulting from residence in neighborhoods with low food access, is a public health concern. The contribution of this exposure in early life to child obesity remains uncertain.

Objective: To examine associations of neighborhood food access during pregnancy or early childhood with child body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk.