Sharable Resources

As part of its commitment to serve the American public, the NIH ECHO Program has created regular updates to the US Congress about high-impact research in important areas of public health.

To receive these updates directly as soon as they come out, or for questions on the findings below or other ECHO Program activities, please email NIHKidsandEnvironment@od.nih.gov.

Please visit our programmatic for additional resources and information about the program including key findings on .

2024

	July 2024 Brain Health Promotion The ECHO Program is highlighting research that promotes brain health and raises awareness about neurodevelopmental disorders, diagnosis, and treatments. Brain development begins during pregnancy and continues during childhood. ECHO researchers study environmental factors that can influence the health of a child’s brain during these early sensitive periods of development. This research can provide valuable insights on how to reduce risks of diseases developing later in life.
	May 2024 Advancing Clinical Trials in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal (ACT NOW) Research Studies ECHO researchers are part of three ACT NOW studies funded in part through The Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative (HEAL); one completed study and two that are ongoing. These studies launched in Spring 2021 and aim to determine the best ways for hospitals to care for babies with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).
	April 2024 Preterm Birth: Risk and Impact More than 400,000 babies are born prematurely, before 37 weeks of pregnancy, each year in the US, representing 10.4% of live births. Infants born preterm are at greater risk than infants born at term for mortality and for a variety of health and developmental problems. ECHO researchers are studying factors associated with preterm birth and the impacts on child health.
	March 2024 Prenatal Exposure to “Forever Chemicals” ECHO researchers are studying the effects of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalates, and other “forever chemicals” in pregnant women and their children. These chemicals are found in hundreds of industrial and consumer products, including personal care products, food, and drinking water. Recent ECHO studies have found associations between some of these chemicals and adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth, neurodevelopmental delays, and obesity.
	January 2024 Overcoming Lack of Rural Broadband The ECHO Program provides medically underserved and rural populations access to state-of-the-art clinical trials through its IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). More than one-quarter (28%) of ECHO ISPCTN participants live in rural communities. ECHO researchers have conducted remote trials for children living far from academic research or medical centers to enable them to participate from the comfort of their own homes. Yet, the lack of reliable, high-speed connection continues to be a barrier for some families.

2023

	December 2023 Providing State-of-the Art Clinical Trials for Children Living in Rural or Underserved Areas Infants, children, and adolescents living in rural or underserved areas have less opportunity to participate in clinical research, especially clinical trials. To address this barrier, the ECHO Program created the . This network ensures that children in states with historically low NIH funding have access to clinical trials as part of ECHO. ECHO ISPCTN comprises research sites in 18 states: Alaska, Aransas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia.