Juan A Ortega-García

Juan A Ortega-García
University of Murcia | UM · Department of Surgery, Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology

Prof. As, MD, PhD,
Profesor de pediatría, Universidad de Murcia Vinculado clínico al Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca

About

183
Publications
21,099
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1,318
Citations
Additional affiliations
January 2008 - present
Hospital Clinico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca-IMIB
Position
  • Coordinador de Grupo de investigación
January 2003 - September 2005
Hospital Universitari i Politècnic la Fe
Position
  • Researcher
October 2005 - present
Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca
Position
  • Medical Doctor, Director
Education
October 2004 - October 2008
University of Valencia
Field of study
  • Environment and Childhood Cancer
January 2003 - June 2004
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Field of study
  • Clinical Epidemiology
May 1999 - May 2003

Publications

Publications (183)
Article
Full-text available
Background: Substance abuse is a global problem that cuts across all sectors of society and requires innovative solutions that go beyond conventional treatments. Contact with nature could be a complementary tool to address drug-related problems. This review aimed to assess the impact of natural environments on drug-related outcomes. Method: 8205 ar...
Article
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The Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon in the Mediterranean basin (Murcia, southeastern Spain), is an ecosystem facing severe pollution, anoxia events, and marine biodiversity loss. This exploratory study examines the association between residential proximity to the Mar Menor and childhood cancer incidence in Murcia from 2000 to 2018. In...
Article
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Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and its etiology could be related to various environmental contaminants such as particulate matter (PM). The objective of our study is to evaluate the potential association between exposure to PM during pregnancy and the incidence of childhood leukemia. We established a population-based nationwide cohort...
Preprint
Full-text available
The Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon in the Mediterranean basin (Murcia, southeastern Spain), is a ecosystem facing severe pollution, anoxia events, and marine biodiversity loss. his exploratory study examines the association between residential proximity to the Mar Menor and childhood cancer incidence in Murcia from 2000 to 2018. In ou...
Article
Full-text available
Objectives: To compare the environmental health results in women trying to get pregnant or pregnant using a mobile health application (Green Page) through healthcare professionals or self-completed by women, and to explore the relationship between the subjective well-being of these women with their lifestyles and environmental factors. Methods:...
Article
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Today more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Children spend about 40 h a week in the school environment. Knowing the influence of school exposure to green/blue spaces could improve the children’s health, creating healthier environments and preventing exposure to legal/illegal drugs. This systematic review summarized the main...
Article
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Background: Several environmental factors seem to be involved in childhood leukaemia incidence. Traffic exposure could increase the risk while urban green spaces (UGS) exposure could reduce it. However, there is no evidence how these two factors interact on this infant pathology. Objectives: to evaluate how residential proximity to UGS could be...
Article
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Childhood and adolescent cancer survivors (CACS) are a high-risk population for non-communicable diseases and secondary carcinogenesis. The Environmental and Community Health Program for Longitudinal Follow-up of CACS in the region of Murcia, Spain, is an ongoing pioneering program that constitutes a model for social innovation. This study aims to...
Article
Radiant catalytic ionization (RCI) is a novel technology that uses the appropriate wavelength (240-260 nm) and the phenomenon of photo-oxidation leading to permanent removal of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Here, two analyses were performed. The first of them was a complete analysis of environmental biosecurity in a hospital environment. The second...
Article
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There are few well-established risk factors for childhood leukemias. While the frequency of childhood leukemias might be partially attributable to some diseases (accounting for a small fraction of cases) or ionizing radiation, the role of heavy metals has not been assessed. The objective of our study was to assess the potential association between...
Article
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Background: Blue spaces have been a key part of human evolution, providing resources and helping economies develop. To date, no studies have been carried out to explore how they may be linked to paediatric oncological diseases. Objectives: To explore the possible relationship of residential proximity to natural and urban blue spaces on childhood...
Article
Full-text available
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a leading cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Maternal reporting in childbearing women or pregnant women is the standard for the early detection of alcohol consumption. The Green Page (GP) is a screening questionnaire of environmental health which includes the alcohol intake record during pregnan...
Article
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Understanding the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect by surfaces and by airborne dissemination has become in one of the most important issues in the world nowadays. Thus, the aim of this study was to confirm aerosol dissemination from patients with coronavirus infection using “COVID-19 traps” that included different untouched surfaces within th...
Article
Background Childhood leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. To date, few risk factors related to predisposition have been identified; therefore, new hypotheses should be considered. Objective To explore the possible relationship of residential proximity to urban green spaces on childhood leukaemia. Methods We conducted a population-based c...
Article
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The pollution of the planet also reaches the breastfeeding ecosystem, one of the most intimate and inviolable that links us as an animal species to the rest of mammals. Nursing mothers may be concerned about whether the quality of their milk will be adequate for their baby and whether environmental pollutants through work, diet, and storing may adv...
Article
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Resumen La contaminación del planeta alcanza también al ecosistema de la lactancia, uno de los más íntimos e inviolables que nos liga como especie animal al resto de los mamíferos. Las madres lactantes pueden estar preocupadas sobre si la calidad de su leche será la adecuada para su bebé y si los contaminantes medioambientales, a través del trabajo...
Article
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El período periconcepcional, embrionario/fetal y lactancia/crianza constituyen una de las ventanas de vulnerabilidad a exposiciones medioambientales más importante de la vida de un individuo. Enfermeras y matronas por su forma de entender el binomio salud/enfermedad ocupan un lugar estratégico para el desarrollo de tareas relacionadas con la salud...
Article
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Introduction Urban air pollution (UAP) is a major threat to child and adolescent health. Children are more vulnerable to its effects, being associated with higher morbidity and mortality due to acute and chronic diseases, especially respiratory ones. A study is performed on the relationship between UAP and the rate of hospital admissions due to acu...
Article
Background Childhood cancer is a chronic disease with high survival rates. Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) can still face health effects later in their lives. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the factors that modify it allow CCS and their families to improve care in the long-term follow-up. This study aims to: (1) examine the differences...
Article
The impact of COVID-19 outbreak has been unequal across Spanish regions. The epidemic wave has been smoother in the Region of Murcia (RM) (6 deaths/100,000 residents). Physical distance from health centers from day 0 is an additional social distancing measure that confers an advantageous starting position in the fight against COVID-19. Late healthc...
Article
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Resumen Introducción La contaminación atmosférica urbana es una amenaza principal para la salud infantojuvenil. Los niños son más vulnerables a sus efectos asociando mayor morbimortalidad de enfermedades agudas y crónicas, especialmente respiratorias. Pretendemos estudiar los efectos de la contaminación atmosférica urbana en la tasa de ingresos ho...
Article
Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is responsible for negative health outcomes. The literature shows that socio-economic and lifestyle factors are both related with alcohol consumption during pregnancy; nevertheless, the role of other factors is unclear. The objective of this study is to assess the role that partners' alcohol consumption...
Article
Aims: In current clinical practice, prenatal alcohol exposure is usually assessed by interviewing the pregnant woman by applying questionnaires. An alternative method for detecting alcohol use is to measure the biomarker carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT). However, few studies measure CDT during pregnancy. This study examines the utility of...
Article
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Background: The 5-year overall survival (OS) in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has reached 90% in high-income countries, levels that can no be longer overcome with strategies based on intensification of treatment. Other approaches in the search for new and modifiable prognostic factors are necessary to continue to improve these rates...
Article
Objective: To contribute in closing the current gap in literature that holistically examines sociocultural influences on perinatal drug dependency. This article draws from social network theory and structural violence to qualitatively consider the contextual components of addiction and substance use during pregnancy, which purposefully moves away...
Article
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In a world that is increasingly technological and interconnected, but also more violent, overexploited and polluted, Paediatric Environmental Health (PEH) is one of the best contributions to improve global health. Few areas of the planet have a high affinity with common values and interests, such as the European Union (EU), Latin America and the Ca...
Article
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En un mundo cada vez más tecnológico e interconectado, pero también más violento, esquilmado y contaminado, la salud medioambiental pediátrica (SMAP) constituye una de las mejores contribuciones para mejorar la salud global. Pocas zonas del planeta tienen una afinidad tan alta en valores e intereses como la Unión Europea (UE), América Latina y el C...
Article
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Background: Obesity is a major public health crisis among both children and adults and contributes to significant physical, psychological, and economic burden. We aim to investigate the effect of duration of breastfeeding on excessive weight and obesity at 6 years of age. Subjects/methods: Data on breastfeeding and child anthropometric measureme...
Poster
Introduction It is estimated that 70% of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) will present a late effect derived from the treatments used during the acute phase of cancer throughout their life, some of them potentially serious as cardiac dysfunctions or subsequent neoplasms. Smoking may increase the frequency and severity of these late effects. AIM: T...
Poster
Introduction Health beings long before birth. Exposure to tobacco smoke (active or passive) is one of the leading causes of pregnancy complications and a risk factor for developing multiple pediatric diseases. The objective of this work is to explain how the consultation for smoking cessation of the Pediatric Environmental Health Unit works. This...
Poster
Introduction Survival rates of childhood cancer have increased in recent decades to reach 80% in high-income countries. At the same time, the appearance of late effects derived from the treatments has been increasing, estimating that up to 70% of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) will experience some late effect throughout their life. Exposure to en...
Poster
Introduction Environmental consulting Nursing (Reproductive) is a clinical consultation detection, intervention and prevention of exposures to environmental hazards at critical periods of pregnancy (gametogenesis and pregnancy) with special attention to tobacco. The working tool is the “hoja verde” Objective: The objective of this work is to iden...
Poster
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Introduction Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is a known biomarker for chronic alcoholism detection. The clinical use of CDT is varied: alcohol detoxification programs monitoring abstinence of the alcohol-dependent patients, assessing of pre-natal exposure and evaluating alcohol misuse in subjects applying for the re-granting of driving lic...
Article
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Pediatric Environmental Health (PEH), also known as Environmental Pediatrics, addresses the environmental factors that affect the health of children, from conception to the end of adolescence. Children’s special characteristics involve a greater vulnerability to environmental aggressions. The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) a...
Conference Paper
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Proteger la salud y proteger el medioambiente es un concepto indisoluble e inseparable. Podríamos reconocer la salud como el estado opuesto al de la enfermedad. Nosotros para un estado de bienestar físico, psíquico y social necesitamos una serie de materias y combustibles que hacen posible la vida en su estado más óptimo. Los 4 combustibles básicos...
Article
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Aim: Pediatric cancer has been associated with exposure to certain environmental carcinogens. The purpose of this work is to analyse the relationship between environmental pollution and pediatric cancer risk. Method: We analysed all incidences of pediatric cancer (<15) diagnosed in a Spanish region during the period 1998-2015. The place of resid...
Article
Background: Leukaemia remains the most common type of paediatric cancer and its aetiology remains unknown, but considered to be multifactorial. It is suggested that the initiation in utero by relevant exposures and/or inherited genetic variants and, other promotional postnatal exposures are probably required to develop leukaemia. This study aimed...
Conference Paper
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OBJECTIU: Iniciar l’abordatge de la Salut Mediambiental Pediàtrica (SMAP) des de l’àmbit clínic mitjançant la detecció, l’avaluació i el maneig de les malalties i riscos ambientalment relacionats amb la infància. MATERIAL I MÈTODES: Creació de la Unitat de Pediatria Ambiental (UPA , o PEHSU en les sigles en anglès) en el si d’un equip pediàtric d’à...
Article
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Background Mutational combinations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR, gene have different phenotypic manifestations at the molecular level with varying clinical consequences for individuals possessing such mutations. Reporting cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutations is important in understanding...
Conference Paper
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Objeto del trabajo: Desarrollar la historia clínica medioambiental pediátrica (HCMAP) para detectar factores ambientales en niñas con trastornos relacionados con el adelanto de la pubertad (TdAP) y pilotarla en una muestra de pacientes. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional transversal. Muestra de 30 niñas reclutadas por captación en un hospita...
Article
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Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) has multiple adverse effects on lung function and growth, nutrition, and immune function in children; it is increasingly being recognized as an important modifier of disease severity for children with chronic diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF). This review examines what is known regarding the prevalence of SHSe i...
Poster
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Background: A decrease of the age of menarche and thelarche has been observed during the last decades. The cause of most of the cases of precocious puberty in girls remains unknown. Some environmental factors such as obesity and adoption have been related to early puberty. Our objective is to explore environmental factors within a sample of girls w...
Conference Paper
Background: The Environmental Reproductive Nursing consultation involves a clinical consultation focused on detection, intervention and prevention of exposures to environmental hazards during the critical periods of fetus development (spermatogenesis and pregnancy) that pays special attention to legal and illegal drugs. Methods: The consultation is...
Poster
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Background: Prenatal exposure to alcohol causes a variety of clinical manifestations known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), with neurodevelopmental effects, among others. Alcoholism is common among mothers of children adopted from Spanish institutions, especially from Eastern Europe. Methods: A 17-year old boy, born in Ukraine and adopted...
Poster
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Introduction: This integrated study examines the prevention and detection/follow-up of children at risk of neurobehavioral disorders associated with prenatal and/or postnatal exposure to alcohol and illegal drugs. We utilized the Elijo Mas Sano (Choose Healthier) registry of children at environmental risk from drugs and alcohol. Methods: For this d...
Conference Paper
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Background: Born without OH is a comprehensive program of prevention, reduction of harm and management of neurobehavioral disorders associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs through the pediatric environmental health from the beginning of pregnancy until the end of adolescence. Our objective is to prevent and reduce damage from e...
Article
Background: The anogenital distance (AGD) is an anthropometric marker determined by exposures to androgens in utero and throughout the first few months of life. Early exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates have been significantly associated with shortened AGD in boys. Limited studies have explored phthalate concentrations i...
Poster
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1. Introducción: Según la última Encuesta sobre Alcohol y Drogas en España, cerca del 15% de las mujeres en edad fértil reconoce consumo en atracones (“binge drinking”) en los últimos 30 días. Aunque muchas de las embarazadas cesan o disminuyen el consumo al enterarse del embarazo, los hábitos de consumo hacen probable exposiciones a alcohol durant...
Poster
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INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS: Nacer sin OH es un proyecto de prevención, detección y seguimiento de niños con trastornos neurocomportamentales asociados a la exposición prenatal y postnatal a alcohol y/o otras drogas ilegales. Incluye la realización del registro ELIJO MAS SANO (EMS) de niños en riesgo medioambiental por estas drogas. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS...
Poster
Full-text available
Objetivo: El objetivo del presente trabajo es estudiar el efecto sobre los ingresos hospitalarios de la lactancia materna (LM) en lactantes y analizar el impacto económico relacionado. Método: Estudio de cohortes multietapas desde el nacimiento hasta el año de vida durante 20006/07 - 2009/10 de 426 recién nacidos y sus familias. Estudio analítico y...
Conference Paper
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INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS Nacer sin OH es un programa integral de prevención, disminución de daño y manejo de los trastornos neurocomportamentales asociados con la exposición prenatal a alcohol y otras drogas desde el inicio del embarazo hasta el final de la adolescencia. Entre sus objetivos específicos pretende crear un Registro Regional de niños a...
Conference Paper
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INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS Investigaciones recientes indican una prevalencia de consumo de alcohol, tabaco y otras drogas al inicio del embarazo, muy altas en mujeres embarazadas en nuestro país. En mujeres en edad fértil de nuestro medio, un 79,1% ha consumido alcohol en el último año, un 43,8% tabaco, un 17% cánnabis y un 3,6% cocaína. El proyecto...
Conference Paper
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INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS Los niños de hoy disponen de menos tiempo y menos espacios para jugar al aire libre que sus padres cuando eran niños. Los niños españoles de 4 a 12 años pasan 990 horas anuales de media frente al televisor, el ordenador o los juegos electrónicos. Se ha observado cómo el contacto con la naturaleza mejora el control de enferm...
Conference Paper
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INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS La Hoja Verde de embarazo y lactancia es un conjunto de preguntas básicas y concisas que permite detectar, informar y reducir/eliminar los factores de riesgo medioambientales, contribuyendo a la creación de ambientes más saludables para la infancia. En un esfuerzo por alcanzar al mayor número posible de beneficiarios hemos...
Poster
Full-text available
INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVOS El humo ambiental de tabaco se asocia con enfermedades y muerte prematura en la infancia. Con resultados variables se ha asociado con mayor riesgo de diversos tumores pediátricos, entre ellos, las leucemias agudas. Existen ciertas características clínicas y biológicas que tienen importancia pronóstica en las leucemias aguda...
Conference Paper
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Introducción: La enfermedad de Wilson (EW) o degeneración hepatolenticular es un enfermedad congénita, transmitida por herencia autosómica recesiva, caracterizada por la acumulación de cobre en el organismo. Apenas existen reportes en la literatura médica que aborden la lactancia en madres con EW. Presentamos un caso en el que se cuestionó la idone...
Conference Paper
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Introducción: “Bosques para la Salud” (BpS) es un proyecto de salud medioambiental que pretende que cada recién nacido (RN) nazca y crezca vinculado a un árbol. Incorporar un bosque a las maternidades y a la cartera de servicios, puede ayudar a mejorar la calidad de vida de niños/as afectados de enfermedades crónicas o por la exposición prenatal a...
Article
Full-text available
This study evaluates the impact over time of a telephone-based intervention in tobacco cessation and prevention targeting patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the Mediterranean region of Murcia, Spain. We conducted an experimental prospective study with a cohort of CF patients using an integrative smoking cessation programme, between 2008 and 2013...
Article
Objective: To assess attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of primary medical care professionals as regards the follow-up of Childhood Cancer Survivors (CCS) and the introduction of a Long-Term Follow-Up Program for Childhood Cancer Survivors in the Region of Murcia (PLASESCAP-MUR). Material and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study using a stru...
Article
Occasionally, primary care pediatricians notice the presence of small clusters of pediatric cancer (PC), but are often frustrated by the findings after statistical analysis. The study of small areas in spatial epidemiology has led to advances in identifying clusters and the environmental risk factors involved. The purpose of this study was to descr...