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Social inequities hurt babies’ hearts: a commentary on Forero-Manzano, MJ, et al.

Pediatric Research (2022)Cite this article

A Correction to this article was published on 17 February 2023

This article has been updated

Congenital heart disease, one of the most common health conditions in newborns, is partially due to social determinants of health and thus imposes a disproportionate burden upon families that are most socioeconomically disadvantaged. Globally, most deaths from congenital heart disease occur among infants from low-income families and among those who live in low- and middle-income countries.1 Surgical and medical advancements have made it possible for the vast majority of children with congenital heart disease to grow to adulthood, making it possible for those who have access to healthcare to live longer with these conditions. But, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations have less access to the kind of healthcare that children with congenital heart conditions need to thrive.2 It is tragic to consider that a significant portion of the global burden due to congenital heart disease may arise from preventable causes that are more prevalent amongst low-income families.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health and Chief of the Division of International Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Luz Claudio

  2. Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, Hospital University Virgen of Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120, Murcia, Spain

    Juan Antonio Ortega-García

  3. Professor of Public Health, School of Medicine of the Industrial University of Santander, Carrera 32 No. 29-31 Oficina 310, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia

    Laura Andrea Rodríguez Villamizar

Authors
  1. Luz Claudio
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  2. Juan Antonio Ortega-García
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  3. Laura Andrea Rodríguez Villamizar
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Correspondence to Luz Claudio.

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The original online version of this article was revised: the author name Juan Antonio Ortega-García was incorrectly given as only ‘Juan Antonio Ortega’. Additionally, the affiliation of the same author was corrected to read: “Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, Hospital University Virgen of Arrixaca, El Palmar, 30120, Murcia, Spain”.

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Claudio, L., Ortega-García, J.A. & Rodríguez Villamizar, L.A. Social inequities hurt babies’ hearts: a commentary on Forero-Manzano, MJ, et al.. Pediatr Res (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-022-02363-7

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