# Cumulative Effects of Prenatal Stress and Chemical Exposures on Child Development

> **NIH NIH UH3** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2022 · $540,374

## Abstract

Project Summary
We propose to integrate two pregnancy cohorts currently under recruitment at the University of Illinois and the
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to form a larger geographically, socio-economically, racially and
ethnically diverse cohort (ECHO.CA.IL) to study the cumulative impact of chemical exposures and maternal
psychosocial stress on birth outcomes and early neurodevelopment. We will focus on two groups of high
production volume endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) regularly detected in pregnant women, which
research suggests may impact development, but for which data on child health outcomes is sparse: phenols
(bisphenols, benzophenone, dichlorophenols, parabens, triclosan, triclocarban) and perfluorinated alkyl
substances (PFAS). We will measure three indices of chronic stress and resilience: 1) Perceptual –
perceptions of social standing and stress exposures in household, neighborhood, and work environments; 2)
Place-based – neighborhood level socioeconomic status, civic engagement, green space and built
environment; and 3) Biomarkers - telomere length in maternal and umbilical cord leukocytes and corticotropin
releasing hormone (CRH) levels in maternal plasma. We will measure birth outcomes (birth weight and
gestational age) and we will use innovative approaches to assess basic cognitive functions including working
memory, attention, information processing, and social cognition in infancy and early childhood. We will
address three specific aims: (1) Evaluate the relationship between prenatal exposures to EDCs and
measures of adverse birth outcomes and cognitive development of offspring. (2) Evaluate the
relationship between measures of prenatal stress and measures of adverse birth outcomes and
cognitive development of offspring. Importantly, for this aim we will also assess whether biomarkers of
stress response mediate the relationship between perceptual and place-based stress and developmental
outcomes. (3) Evaluate whether maternal stress modifies observed relationships between EDC
exposures and measures of adverse birth outcomes or cognitive development of offspring. During the
planning period, we will harmonize data collection and management (including biospecimens, stress
measurements, and measurements of birth outcomes and cognitive functions) across our two cohorts to
prepare for merging our two data sets and for sharing our data with the ECHO Data Analysis Center. During
UG3 stage we will also actively participate in development and implementation of the ECHO-wide study
protocol contributing expertise and methodology for assessing maternal stress, offspring cognitive
development and our experiences integrating and harmonizing data collection across our two geographically
distinct pregnancy cohorts. In summary, our innovative research approach will contribute to ECHO by providing
a framework for integrating cumulative chemical exposures with chronic psychosocial stress and sources of
resilience in orde...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10629819
- **Project number:** 3UH3OD023272-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** Susan L Schantz
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $540,374
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-09-21 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10629819

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10629819, Cumulative Effects of Prenatal Stress and Chemical Exposures on Child Development (3UH3OD023272-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10629819. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*