University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics

Kimberly Yolton, PhD

Title

Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Appointment

Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Email

kimberly.yolton@cchmc.org

Phone

513-636-2815

Fax

513-636-4402

Bio

Kimberly Yolton, PhD, is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on exposures and experiences that may divert an infant or child off the standard trajectory of development. Her research considers exposures to environmental toxicants, primarily tobacco smoke, as well as consequences of prematurity and high-risk infancy.

Dr. Yolton was formerly the director of a follow-up clinic serving high-risk infants and young children. She has extensive experience with patients who are prenatally exposed to substances of abuse, born prematurely or at low birth weight, or come from disadvantaged home environments.

Dr. Yolton was involved in the initial development of the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS), a neurobehavioral assessment tool used with healthy and high-risk newborns, and has used the tool for clinical, research and teaching opportunities. She is currently conducting a pilot research project to investigate whether the NNNS is sensitive enough to detect subtle differences in the neurobehavior of newborns who have been prenatally exposed to environmental toxicants such as lead, mercury, PCBs, pesticides, tobacco and alcohol. She is certified to train others on the proper administration, scoring and interpretation of the NNNS.

Dr. Yolton has published papers on associations between exposure to second hand smoke and cognitive deficits and behavior problems in children. She is currently studying the association between exposure to second hand smoke and child sleep problems as well as prenatal tobacco smoke exposure effects on infants. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute. She serves on the Neurodevelopment Working Team for the National Children’s Study.

Dr. Yolton came to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center as a postdoctoral fellow in Pediatric Environmental Health in 2000 and joined the faculty in 2003. She earned her master's degree in family and child development from Virginia Tech, and her doctoral degree in child development and developmental psychology from Ohio State University.

Credentials

Fellowship: Pediatric Environmental Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 2000-2003

PhD: Family Relations & Human Development, Developmental Psychology, The Ohio State University, 1992

Position History

Director: High-risk newborn follow-up, University of Tennessee-Memphis, 1992-2000.

Research

Exposure to environmental toxicants, with an emphasis on tobacco smoke, and infant and child outcomes
Developmental and behavioral outcomes of high-risk infants
Newborn neurobehavioral assessment as a tool for examining the impact of prenatal and early postnatal events

Research Grants and Contracts

Current

Tobacco Smoke and Early Human Neurobehavior, PI, Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute Clinical Innovators Award, 07/01/2007-06/31/2010

NICHD Cooperative Multi-Center Neonatal Research Network NIH/NICHD, PI of Follow-Up Studies, NICHD, 04/01/2006-03/31/2011

National Children’s Study - Brookings, Yellow Medicine, Pipestone, and Lincoln Counties Vanguard Center, PI of SubContract, NICHD, 04/01/2007-09/30/2010

A Community-Based Trial to Prevent Lead Poisoning and Residential Injuries, Co-I, NIEHS R01, 4/1/2007 – 3/31/2012

Completed

Exploration of ETS Effects on Child Behavior and Sleep, PI, NIEHS R21, 05/01/04 - 03/31/07

Study of Prevalent Neurotoxicants in Children, Co-I and New Scientist, NIEHS and EPA PO1, 10/01/2001 – 09/30/2006

A Randomized Trial to Reduce ETS in Children with Asthma, Co-I, NHLBI R01, 07/01/2000 – 06/30/2004

Publications, Most Recent

Yolton K, Khoury J, Hornung R, Dietrich K, Succop P, Lanphear B. Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Child Behaviors.Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 2008;29:456-63.

Dietrich, K Eskenazi B, Schantz S, Yolton K, Rauh V, Johnson C, Alkon A, Canfield R, Pessah I, Berman R. Principles and practices of neurodevelopmental assessment in children: Lessons learned from the Centers for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research.Environmental Health Perspectives 2005;113:1437-46.

Eskenazi B, Gladstone E, Berkowitz G, Drew C, Faustman E, Holland N, Lanphear B, Meisel S, Perera F, Rauh V, Sweeney A, Whyatt R, Yolton K. Methodological and logistic issues in conducting longitudinal birth cohort studies: Lessons learned from the Centers for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research.Environmental Health Perspectives 2005;113:1419-29.

Lanphear BP, Hornung R, Khoury J, Yolton K, Baghurst P, Bellinger D, Canield RL, Dietrich KN, Bornshien R, Greene T, Rothenberg SJ, Needleman HL, Schnaas L, Wasserman G, Graziano J, Roberts R. Low-level Lead Exposure and Children’s Intellectual Function: An International Pooled Analysis.Environmental Health Perspectives 2005;113:894-9

Yolton K, Dietrich K, Auinger P, Lanphear BP, Hornung R. Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Cognitive Abilities among US Children and Adolescents.Environmental Health Perspectives 2005;113:98-103.

Presentations, Most Recent

2008 Yolton, K, Khoury, J, Xu, Y, Lanphear, B, Succop, P, Lester, B. Low-Level Prenatal Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and Newborn Neurobehavior. Neurobehavioral Teratology Society annual meeting. Monterey, CA. July 1, 2008. Peer reviewed platform presentation.

2007 Yolton, K. Hey Baby! Tell Me What it Was Like in There South Dakota State University. Children’s Environmental Health Seminar. Invited speaker. October 11, 2007.

2006 Yolton, K, Dietrich, K, Hornung, R, Khoury, J, Lanphear, B, Succop, P. Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Child Behaviors. – Pediatric Academic Societies meeting. San Francisco, CA. April, 30, 2006. Peer reviewed platform presentation.

2006 Yolton, K. Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: What Do We Know About this Common Exposure for Children? South Dakota State University. Children’s Environmental Health Seminar. Invited speaker. July 12, 2006.