The healthcare professional as a health educator. Prevention of small for gestational age newborns Section: Featured Articles How to quote Martínez Galiano JM. El profesional sanitario como educador en salud. Prevención de los recién nacidos PEG. Metas de Enferm abr 2011; 14(3): 63-67 AuthorsJuan Miguel Martínez Galiano Position Servicio de Paritorio. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario “Ciudad de Jaén”, Jaén. Contact address Servicio de Paritorio. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario “Ciudad de Jaén”. Avenida del Ejercito Español, 10. 23007 Jaén. Contact email: juanmimartinezg@hotmail.com Abstract Small for Gestational Age (SGA) newborns can present physical, mental and therefore social alterations in the short and long term. Approximately 5% of newborns are SGA. The risk factors for this problem include the mother’s diet, the intergenesic period, the mother’s smoking, consumption of certain drugs and nutritional state, and others. It is necessary to focus health education on these risk factors. Some of the key elements are found in controlling diet during pregnancy, staying well-hydrated, not smoking or drinking alcohol, providing micronutrients at the right times, preventing unwanted pregnancies, managing high blood pressure, detecting pregnancy in early stages for proper management and adequate moment in time for the pregnancy to occur (not during adolescence, intergenesic period greater than 36 months, etc.). The healthcare professional can intervene by providing health education geared towards women and intended to decrease or suppress these risk factors, therefore contributing to the reduction of the neonatal morbi-mortality related with this problem. Keywords: SGA; mother's diet; neonatal morbi-mortalityrisk factors Versión en Español Título: El profesional sanitario como educador en salud. Prevención de los recién nacidos pequeños para su edad gestacional