Enriching ECHO: Understanding how prenatal exposures and family factors affect kids with health challenges
Official title: Enriching ECHO Cohorts with High-risk Pregnancies and Children with Health Challenges (Enriching ECHO)
Funded at Hackensack University Medical Center · NIH-11362595 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A national project is studying how prenatal and early-life exposures, plus caregiving and social support, influence health and well‑being in children with and without chronic health challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $5,168,081 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3OD035546-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362595 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant individuals at high risk for adverse birth outcomes and families caring for children with physical, sensory, or developmental challenges.
✕Less likely to help
Families not connected to high‑risk pregnancies or children with chronic health issues may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project follows children born from high‑risk pregnancies to see how environmental factors and parenting influence long‑term health, function, and community participation. Researchers will collect data on exposures before and after birth and track outcomes over time in kids with various physical and developmental needs. The goal is to identify modifiable factors that help children thrive and to inform families and clinicians about strategies that support positive health across childhood. Community partners and caregivers will be involved to improve engagement, retention, and relevance of the findings to real‑world care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide healthier environments and parenting approaches to improve daily functioning and quality of life for children with chronic health challenges.
How similar studies have gone: Previous cohorts have shown that prenatal and early-life factors can influence later health, but this project seeks to pinpoint modifiable predictors for positive outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aschner, Judy Lynn — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Aschner, Judy Lynn
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.