Neonatal Health in Ibero-America: Addressing Challenges for Better Outcomes

Neonatal health is a critical area within global health, especially in low- and middle-income countries where systemic challenges impede progress. In Spanish-speaking LMICs, structural health system deficiencies—including fragmented service delivery, unequal distribution of resources, and concentration of trained professionals in urban centers—amplify disparities in neonatal care. Despite advances, neonatal mortality rates in these contexts persist at worrying levels, and access to specialized care remains limited for marginalized rural, indigenous, and migrant populations. These inequities are further compounded by health workforce shortages and gaps in quality, which collectively undermine the prospects for achieving international goals to reduce neonatal deaths.

Recent evidence indicates a gradual decline in neonatal mortality across the region, yet many countries still face rates above the global average, heavily influenced by preventable conditions such as prematurity, infections, and complications at birth. Long-term neonatal morbidity, including neurodevelopmental impairment and chronic disability, remains a major concern, indicating that urgent action is needed beyond merely reducing mortality. Innovative health system strategies—ranging from telemedicine and community-based interventions to culturally tailored programs—have shown promise in certain settings, but systematic knowledge exchange and the evaluation of impact remain limited. Consequently, it is essential to foster transnational dialogue to identify scalable solutions, bridge evidence gaps, and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3.

This Research Topic aims to explore the complex landscape of neonatal health in Spanish-speaking LMICs by assembling a diverse array of research and experiential insights. It seeks to highlight effective interventions, analyze the barriers and facilitators to quality care, and evaluate models that can reduce disparities in neonatal outcomes. By generating a robust knowledge base, this initiative aspires to inform policy, enhance clinical and public health practice, and stimulate innovation across various contexts—urban, rural, and underserved populations alike.

To gather further insights while focusing on Spanish-speaking LMICs and interventions that address systemic, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers to neonatal health, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

•Epidemiology and patterns of neonatal morbidity and mortality in resource-constrained environments.
•Social determinants and risk factors shaping perinatal and neonatal outcomes.
•Implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practices in neonatal intensive care and at the community level.
•Quality improvement initiatives, including neonatal resuscitation and essential newborn care.
•Innovative service delivery models (telemedicine, task-shifting, multidisciplinary care).
•Health system strengthening strategies and workforce development for neonatal care.
•Culturally adapted approaches to encouraging parental involvement, breastfeeding, and newborn bonding.
•Ethical, policy, and governance considerations in neonatal health for LMICs.

We encourage submissions from neonatologists, pediatricians, nurses, midwives, public health experts, and multidisciplinary teams spanning both urban and rural communities. Acceptable article types include original research, reviews, case studies, and policy analyses.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Perinatal Care; Risk Factors; Hispanic or Latino; Patient Outcome Assessment; Morbidity; Neonatal Care; Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.