Children's executive functioning and health behaviors across pediatric life stages and ecological contexts.

Executive functioning (EF) has been linked to chronic disease risk in children. Health behaviors are thought to partially explain this association. The current cross-sectional study evaluated specific domains of EF and varied health behaviors in three pediatric life stages.

Co-occurring Psychopathology in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Differences by Sex in the ECHO Cohorts.

Purpose: Our goals were to: 1) examine the occurrence of behavioral and emotional symptoms in children on the autism spectrum in a large national sample, stratifying by sex, and 2) evaluate whether children with increased autism-related social communication deficits also experience more behavioral and emotional problems.

Methods:  Participants (n = 7,998) were from 37 cohorts from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Cross-sectional information on demographic factors, parent-report of an ASD diagnosis by clinician, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scores, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores were obtained for children aged 2.

Spatial and temporal determinants of particulate matter peak exposures during pregnancy and early postpartum.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM) exposure is an important environmental risk for maternal and children's health, with peak exposures especially those derived from primary combustion hypothesized to pose greater risk. Identifying PM peaks and their contributions to personal exposure remains challenging. This study measured personal PM exposure, characterized primary combustion peaks, and investigated their determinants during and after pregnancy and among Hispanic women in Los Angeles, CA.

EV-miRNA associated with environmental air pollution exposures in the MADRES cohort.

Air pollution is a hazardous contaminant, exposure to which has substantial consequences for health during critical periods, such as pregnancy. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an epigenetic mechanism that modulates transcriptome responses to the environment and has been found to change in reaction to air pollution exposure. The data are limited regarding extracellular-vesicle (EV) miRNA variation associated with air pollution exposure during pregnancy and in susceptible populations who may be disproportionately exposed.

Gestational exposure to organophosphate ester flame retardants and risk of childhood obesity in the environmental influences on child health outcomes consortium.

Introduction: Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are increasing in use as flame retardants and plasticizers and concerns have been raised given their endocrine-disrupting activities and possible obesogenic consequences. However, longitudinal studies on gestational OPE exposure and childhood obesity are scarce. This study examined whether OPE levels in maternal urine during pregnancy were associated with the risk of childhood obesity.

Impact of childhood exposure to traffic related air pollution on adult cardiometabolic health: Exploring the role of perceived stress.

Background: Little is known about how childhood exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and stress interact to affect adults' cardiometabolic health. We examined this interaction and assessed the impact of over 10 years of childhood TRAP exposure on cardiometabolic health.

Methods: From 2018 to 2023, 313 young adults from the Southern California Children's Health Study were enrolled in a follow-up assessment.

Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity.

Importance: Limited access to healthy foods, resulting from residence in neighborhoods with low food access, is a public health concern. The contribution of this exposure in early life to child obesity remains uncertain.

Objective: To examine associations of neighborhood food access during pregnancy or early childhood with child body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk.

Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and persistent postpartum depression.

Background: Ambient air pollution during pregnancy has been linked with postpartum depression up to 12 months, but few studies have investigated its impact on persistent depression beyond 12 months postpartum. This study aimed to evaluate prenatal ambient air pollution exposure and the risk of persistent depression over 3 years after childbirth and to identify windows of susceptibility.

Methods: This study included 361 predominantly low-income Hispanic/Latina participants with full-term pregnancies in the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) cohort.

Smartphone GPS-Based Exposure to Greenspace and Walkability and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Early Postpartum-Evidence from the MADRES Cohort.

A growing number of studies have associated walkability and greenspace exposure with greater physical activity (PA) in women during pregnancy. However, most studies have focused on examining women's residential environments and neglected exposure in locations outside the home neighborhood. Using 350 person-days (N = 55 participants) of smartphone global positioning system (GPS) location and accelerometer data collected during the first and third trimesters and 4-6 months postpartum from 55 Hispanic pregnant women from the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) study, we examined the day-level effect of women's exposure to walkability and greenspace on their PA outcomes during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period.

Association Between Cardiovascular Health and Subclinical Atherosclerosis Among Young Adults Using the American Heart Association's "Life's Essential 8" Metrics.

Background: This study investigated the association of American Heart Association's cardiovascular health guidelines Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and Life's Simple 7 (LS7) with carotid artery outcomes among young adults.

Methods And Results: This cross-sectional study included 240 young adults (age 24.2±1.

Organophosphate ester flame retardant chemicals and maternal depression during pregnancy.

Background: Depression substantially contributes to pregnancy-related morbidity, and pregnancy is increasingly recognized as a vulnerable window for exposure effects on maternal mental health. Exposures to organophosphate esters (OPEs) are ubiquitous and may have neurotoxic effects; however, their impacts on prenatal depression remain unknown. We evaluated associations of third trimester OPE metabolites on maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Association of maternal fish consumption and ω-3 supplement use during pregnancy with child autism-related outcomes: results from a cohort consortium analysis.

Background: Prenatal fish intake is a key source of omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids needed for brain development, yet intake is generally low, and studies addressing associations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related traits are lacking.

Objective: This study aimed to examine associations of prenatal fish intake and ω-3 supplement use with both autism diagnosis and broader autism-related traits.

Methods: Participants were drawn from 32 cohorts in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort Consortium.

Childhood Air Pollution Exposure Associated with Self-reported Bronchitic Symptoms in Adulthood.

Few studies have examined the effects of long-term childhood air pollution exposure on adult respiratory health, including whether childhood respiratory effects underlie this relation. To evaluate associations between childhood air pollution exposure and self-reported adult bronchitic symptoms while considering child respiratory health in the Southern California Children's Health Study. Exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone, and particulate matter <2.

Joint effects of traffic-related air pollution and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on maternal postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Background: Ambient air pollution has been linked to postpartum depression. However, few studies have investigated the effects of traffic-related NO on postpartum depression and whether any pregnancy-related factors might increase susceptibility.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between traffic-related NO and postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms, and effect modification by pregnancy-related hypertension.

Maternal Urinary Fluoride and Child Neurobehavior at Age 36 Months.

Importance: Recent studies in Canadian and Mexican populations suggest an association of higher prenatal fluoride exposure with poorer neurobehavioral development, but whether this association holds for US-based populations is unknown.

Objective: To examine associations of third trimester maternal urinary fluoride (MUF) with child neurobehavior at age 3 years in the US.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective cohort study utilized urine samples archived from 2017 to 2020 and neurobehavioral data assessed from 2020 to 2023 from the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) pregnancy cohort, which consisted of predominately Hispanic women residing in Los Angeles, California.

Independent and joint effects of neighborhood-level environmental and socioeconomic exposures on body mass index in early childhood: The environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) cohort.

Past studies support the hypothesis that the prenatal period influences childhood growth. However, few studies explore the joint effects of exposures that occur simultaneously during pregnancy. To explore the feasibility of using mixtures methods with neighborhood-level environmental exposures, we assessed the effects of multiple prenatal exposures on body mass index (BMI) from birth to age 24 months.

A review of single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics studies in maternal and child health.

Single-cell sequencing technologies enhance our understanding of cellular dynamics throughout pregnancy. We outlined the workflow of single-cell sequencing techniques and reviewed single-cell studies in maternal and child health. We conducted a literature review of single cell studies on maternal and child health using PubMed.

Prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with inflammatory, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarkers in mothers and newborns.

Background: Prenatal air pollution exposure has been associated with individual inflammatory, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarkers in mothers and neonates. However, studies of air pollution and a comprehensive panel of biomarkers across maternal and cord blood samples remain limited. Few studies used data-driven methods to identify biomarker groupings that converge biomarkers from multiple biological pathways.

Increased Risk of Gestational Hypertension by Periconceptional Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Effect Modification by Prenatal Depression.

Background: Air pollution has been associated with gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia, but susceptible windows of exposure and potential vulnerability by comorbidities, such as prenatal depression, remain unclear.

Methods: We ascertained GH and preeclampsia cases in a prospective pregnancy cohort in Los Angeles, CA. Daily levels of ambient particulate matters (with a diameter of ≤10 μm [PM] or ≤2.

Measurement bias in caregiver-report of early childhood behavior problems across demographic factors in an ECHO-wide diverse sample.

Background: Research and clinical practice rely heavily on caregiver-report measures, such as the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 (CBCL/1.5-5), to gather information about early childhood behavior problems and to screen for child psychopathology.