ECHO-PROTECT Cohort Study Site in Puerto Rico

The project will examine the influence of environmental factors on maternal diet and obesity during pregnancy, child diet and obesity during early to middle childhood, and the relationship between maternal-child diet and onset of puberty. It will also determine the relationship between in utero and early childhood exposure to environmental chemicals, individually and as mixtures, and neurodevelopment and reproductive development across early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The project will build upon the ongoing ECHO cohort in Puerto Rico by following up and collecting data and biospecimens from 800 participating children, and recruiting an additional 1,200 pregnant participants (yielding 1,000 more children) for a total of 1,800 children. This includes tracking 80 completed pregnancies with preconception data from a cohort of 470 potential preconception participants. The project will also contribute expertise to lead and participate in additional new scientific directions within the ECHO consortium.