ECHO Ohio

Together, We Can Improve Children's Health

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The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program

Welcome to the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Study! Thank you for being part of our research community. The goal of ECHO is to understand the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. ECHO is dedicated to both learning what factors affect child health and to finding ways to enhance it.

 

ECHO Ohio logo. The image says

The ECHO Program studies five areas of health. These are:

  • Pre-, peri- and postnatal health (pregnancy and birth)
  • Upper and lower airway health (breathing)
  • Obesity (body weight)
  • Neurodevelopment (brain development)
  • Positive health (well-being)

Our Objectives

  • Improve the health of children and adolescents through observational and interventional research that will inform programs, policies and practices.
  • Institute best practices for conducting large-scale research, referred to as Team Science, giving researchers the tools to work collaboratively to improve child health.

Our ECHO Ohio site is a collaboration between The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children's and is part of the larger, nationwide ECHO Program. The program seeks to learn more about what influences children's health after birth and as they grow. Every survey completed, biospecimen sample collected and study visit attended contributes to a better understanding of children's health.

This website will provide study information, visit details, educational resources, community activities and ways to stay connected with ECHO.

ECHO Ohio Quick Facts

  • Three children sitting on a bench in a hospital corridor, smiling and engaged in conversation, with colorful wall murals in the background.
    The ECHO Program aims to enroll more than 60,000 children by 2030
  • Two children holding hands while walking together outdoors, symbolizing support and connectio
    ECHO has 72 study sites across the United Stated and Puerto Rico
  • A woman and child walk through a hospital corridor, the child pulls a wagon with a stuffed animal and balloons.
    Our ECHO site is the only location in Ohio where participants are being enrolled
  • A baby crawling towards a stack of colorful blocks on a carpeted floor in a library setting.
    Our site aims to enroll 1000 pregnant participants, their child after delivery and a subset of maternal partners. Currently, we have enrolled 400 pregnant participants, more than 300 infants, and 90 partners since we began in February 2024.
  • A child sits on a turtle-shaped seating area in a hospital atrium, promoting a friendly environment for young visitors.
    Our ECHO Ohio research team is actively collaborating in the development of at least 50 papers and publications using data from ECHO.
  • A young girl smiles joyfully while playing on a colorful play structure, with an adult nearby watching her happily.
    Our team has conducted over 700 pregnancy visits and 500 child visits with participating families.

Need to Update Your Contact Information?

Keeping your information current helps us stay in touch about upcoming visits and study activities. Please let us know if your contact information has changed.

Update Your Contact Information

Contact Us

Interested in learning more? Complete the form to connect.

Disclaimer: DO NOT use this form if you are having a medical emergency – call 911. This is a general form that is not always monitored. Please do not ask specific patient-related questions. Allow 2-3 business days for a reply.

For questions about Nationwide Children’s physicians, programs, education courses and services, please visit the Contact Us page on NationwideChildrens.org. For any personal health problem, please seek advice from your physician.

For media inquiries, please contact ECHO Ohio via email at EchoStudy@NationwideChildrens.org.