MISSION: Southwest Research and Information Center is a multi-cultural organization working to promote the health of people and communities, protect natural resources, ensure citizen participation, and secure environmental and social justice now and for future generations

Navajo Birth Cohort Study (NBCS) /
Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO+)

Toll Free Number: 877-545-6775
Main NBCS ECHO+ website

The Navajo Birth Cohort Study is a collaborative effort to better understand the relationship between uranium exposures and early developmental delays on the Navajo Nation. The five-year Study is funded by Congress at the request of the Navajo Nation and in response to concerns expressed by women about health impacts of living near abandoned uranium mines. Partners in the Study include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Navajo Area Indian Health Service, Navajo Nation Division of Health, University of New Mexico Community Environmental Health Program, UNM Pediatrics Department Center for Development and Disability, and Southwest Research and Information Center. Eligible women are between the ages of 14 and 45 who have lived on the Navajo Nation for five years, are pregnant, and will deliver at the designated hospitals in Chinle, Gallup, Shiprock, Ft. Defiance, and Tuba City.

Additional resources. (PDF files, will open in a new tab or window):

• 2024 Brochure NBCS ECHO PLUS Navajo Birth Cohort Study Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes+
• Presentation on Navajo Birth Cohort Study initiated in 2010 to address the impacts of uranium exposure on child health outcomes (October 14, 2021)
• Overview of the Navajo Birth Cohort Study - revised June 2014
• Helping Your Baby and Future Generations To Grow in Beauty
• Flyer
• Poster
• Brochure, revised 2021
• Meaning and Interpretation of Home Environmental Assessment (HEA) Results - FAQ
• Biomonitoring: Meaning and Interpretation - FAQ
• Water Quality Fact Sheet - Summaries of Known Health Effects of Waterborne Contaminants Detected in Water Sources on the Navajo Nation
• Radon Fact Sheet
• Metals Fact Sheet
• Preliminary Results of the Navajo Birth Cohort Study and Selected Case Studies of Exposures to Uranium in Mining Wastes and Drinking Water (12/03/2015)
• Supplement to Annual Progress Report and Continuation Request (08/16/2016)
• Navajo Birth Cohort Newsletter
  • Vol. 4, June 2014
• Other Sources of Information/Resources:
• University of New Mexico, Community Environmental Health Program: Recent articles, meeting notices, educational and promotional videos, background information.
• CDC/ATSDR: Background on the Navajo Nation and the study, links to related information in the federal Five-Year Plan, Report of the Five-Year Plan, and EPA Stakeholders meetings
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9: All aspects of responses to the Navajo Uranium Legacy, including maps, atlases, data collections, site descriptions, and stakeholder presentations. DiNEH Project and NBCS presentations are included under the “Stakeholder Workshops” tab at the top of the home page; click on each year of presentations to see our work over time.
• Navajo Area Indian Health Service, Community Uranium Exposure-Journey To Healing (CUE-JTH) program Sign up for the CUE-JTH list serve. Background slides can be found here.
• The Navajo Community Health Representatives Program is Committed to the Health and Well-Being of the Navajo People. The Community Health Representatives Program has seven Service Units providing Health Education to Diné.
• The Center for Environmental Health Equity is a tribal, academic, nongovernmental partnership that addresses long-standing inequities in environmental health. Native Environmental Health (EH) Equity Research Newsletter, Issue 1, Fall 2016.

Primary staff: Chris Shuey, Lynda Lasiloo, Sandy Ramone, Maria Welch.