Environmental factors in fetal life and childhood growth trajectory study
Official title: The Environmental Factors in FEtal to Childhood Trajectories Cohort
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11362709 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-term study follows pregnant people and their children to understand how in-utero chemical and psychosocial exposures influence child growth and obesity risk up to age 5.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $6,338,152 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3OD035532-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362709 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant individuals and their children up to age 5, particularly those interested in long-term follow-up and contributing to growth and obesity research.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not planning to participate in long-term follow-up or without interest in child growth research may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project enrolls about 2,800 pregnancies before 20 weeks, their partners, and children to track how early chemical exposures and maternal stress affect growth patterns from birth to age 5. Researchers will use surveys and biomarker data collected through the ECHO program to analyze growth trajectories and obesity outcomes. The study combines data from multiple cohorts to examine how social, community, and environmental factors shape early development and body size. Participants will contribute information and samples over several years to help clarify risks and inform prevention efforts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help families and clinicians understand and reduce early-life factors that contribute to childhood obesity.
How similar studies have gone: The ECHO framework has previously demonstrated the value of integrating multiple cohorts to study early-life exposures and child health outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Manhasset, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stroustrup, Annemarie — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Stroustrup, Annemarie
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.