Latinx Child Health: Challenges and Opportunities to Build a Healthy Future

Abstract

Latinx children represent the most rapidly growing pediatric population and the nation’s youngest major racial/ethnic group. The health of Latinx children represents a critical indicator of the future health of our nation. However, inequities in access to and quality of care and disparities in health outcomes continue to threaten the health of many Latinx children. In this chapter, we briefly outline what is known about the health of Latinx children in the USA; describe some challenges to their health and well-being, highlighting both critical social determinants of health and community-level protective factors; and propose opportunities at individual, local, and policy levels to promote the health and well-being of Latinx children in the USA.