The role of social determinants of health in the developing injured brain

We provide a comprehensive review of the evidence on the influence social determinants of health play in the most common causes of perinatal brain injury. This area remains under-investigated, and the evidence can be difficult to navigate.

There is strong emerging evidence on factors such as the influence of maternal education, and in particular a cognitively stimulating home environment, on the language development of preterm infants. The role of the home environment on children following hypoxic brain injury and congenital heart disease is less well studied.

The social determinants of the child's home environment have a significant additive effect on the perinatal risk of a child on later development, particularly their language development.