The ECHO Program

The Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program

A research program supported by the National Institutes of Health

ECHO's mission is to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO studies the health effects of nutrition, environment (social and built), and chemicals on children and their families across the country. The ECHO Program aims to enroll more than 50,000 children.

Visit the ECHO website for more information

What is ECHO Boston?

We are a research study enrolling pregnant individuals who receive their prenatal care through Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Bowdoin Street Health Center.

Participants will have:

Our Study Goal

The goal of the ECHO Boston study is to understand how both neighborhood and individual factors affect pregnancy outcomes and child health. We follow families from early pregnancy through childhood.

What's involved?

Participation includes in-person or remote visits, plus phone or online questionnaires.
We will collect biological samples, such as blood and urine.
Remote visits are available to make participation easier for those unable to come to our sites.

Our Research

Data from ECHO Boston will be combined with other ECHO studies across the U.S.
Researchers, including those at the NIH, will use this data to study:
- Inequities in pregnancy and child health
- Preterm birth, child development, and heart health
- How access to nutritious food can impact health in underserved communities

We are recruiting pregnant participants who are less than 20 weeks pregnant.

We welcome those who speak English and Spanish.

This is a long-term study that will follow families for at least 7 years, and hopefully longer!

Participants will have:
2 study visits during pregnancy

2 visits per year during the first 2 years of the child's life

1 visit per year afterward

Click here for an interactive map of all ECHO sites.

Our ultimate goal is to improve healthcare and

promote health equity for all families.

The ECHO Program studies five areas of health: