Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)

What affects a child’s growth? Is it more than just DNA? What contributes to his or her ability to do well in school, weight and risk of developing asthma? These are just a few questions being asked in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.

Avera is one of only 35 nationwide cohorts chosen to participate in ECHO – a national research program launched and supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goal of this study is to improve child and adolescent health by looking at how a broad range of environmental influences – including sleep, nutrition, allergens and social relationships – affect children both prenatally and after birth.

Because of their high impact on public health, five key outcomes will be investigated:

• Upper and lower airway conditions, such as asthma
• Obesity
• Neurodevelopment, including ADHD and autism
• Pre-, peri- and postnatal outcomes, such as prematurity
• Positive health