Vitamin C and Smoking in Pregnancy: long-term lung health and airway changes in children
Official title: Continued follow-up of the Vitamin C and Smoking in Pregnancy (VCSIP) cohorts through the ECHO consortium, focus on Echo-wide protocols, respiratory outcomes, airway function, and epigenetic changes
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11375182 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant follows children and families over many years to understand how maternal smoking and vitamin C during pregnancy affect a child’s lungs and airway health, including epigenetic changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2016 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $995,515 |
| NIH project number | 5UH3OD023288-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11375182 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people and offspring who are part of the ECHO cohorts, especially those with histories of maternal smoking and exposure to environmental factors.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not connected to the ECHO cohorts or without relevant prenatal exposure data may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on the existing VCSIP cohort to extend long-term follow-up of up to 60,000 children and their families through the ECHO program, focusing on airway function and epigenetic mechanisms. It aims to include new pregnant participants and continue monitoring respiratory outcomes across childhood and into adulthood. Researchers will use harmonized data from multiple cohorts to study how prenatal exposures influence lung development and disease risk. The work may inform guidance for pregnant people on smoking cessation and nutritional support to promote healthier airway outcomes in offspring.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could improve strategies to protect fetal lung development and reduce childhood respiratory diseases.
How similar studies have gone: The ongoing VCSIP/ECHO collaboration has demonstrated value in linking prenatal exposures to later lung function, supporting translational potential.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcevoy, Cynthia T — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Mcevoy, Cynthia T
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Vitamin C in Pregnancy to Protect Kids’ Lungs from Smoking Effects
A pregnancy vitamin C trial tests whether supplementing smoking mothers with vitamin C can improve kids’ lung function and reduce wheeze as they grow.
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Following up on vitamin C and smoking in pregnancy to understand children's lung health
This project continues to follow children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, and some who also took vitamin C, to understand how these factors affect their lung health over time.
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Pregnancy vitamin C to protect children's airway health
Pregnant people who smoke take vitamin C to help their babies keep stronger lungs through childhood.
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Understanding how delay discounting affects smoking during pregnancy
This study is looking at why some pregnant women find it hard to quit smoking even though they really want to, and it’s using a mobile app to help understand their choices better so that we can create better ways to support them in stopping smoking for the health of both mom and baby.
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A mobile app to help pregnant women in Romania quit smoking with peer support
This study is testing a helpful mobile app for pregnant women in Romania who want to quit smoking, offering personalized support and a way to involve a friend or family member in their journey to stay smoke-free during and after pregnancy.
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How air pollution during pregnancy affects fetal growth over time
This study looks at how air pollution affects the growth of babies in the womb during pregnancy, using ultrasound images to track changes over time, and it aims to help expectant parents understand when their babies might be most at risk from pollution.
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.