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Health Issues in Refugee Children

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Refugee Health Care

Abstract

In the past decade, an estimated 200,000 children have come to the US as refugees. Their exposure to health-related risk and protective factors varies by nationality, socioeconomic status, and time period. This chapter will focus on refugee groups who have arrived in the US in the prior decade, from arrival to the transition to ongoing primary care. After arriving in the US, growth and nutrition, communicable conditions, vaccine catch-up, potentially toxic exposures and entry into primary and specialty care are the focus of health care. Over time, psychosocial needs and chronic disease management, including development and dental health, may predominate. Lastly, the structure of the initial and ongoing visits, including cultural considerations, interpretation and collaboration with community services, are formative in the care experience for both children and their families. The intent of this chapter is to review core information and guidelines, bearing in mind that children’s specific health needs, exposures, and experiences are heterogeneous.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In this study, each region predominantly comprised children from one or two national or ethnic groups, as follows: Africa (89 % Somalia), Near East (98 % Iraqi or Kurdish), East Asia (90 % Vietnam), former Yugoslavia (96 % Bosnian), former USSR (41 % Ukrainian, 27 % Russian).

  2. 2.

    In this study, demographic data were not disaggregated by age. However, individuals from Iraq (28 %), Burma (20 %), and Bhutan (15 %) were the three largest national groups in the overall sample. The majority of individuals from the Middle East were from Iraq, while individuals from Europe/Central Asia were predominantly from Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia and those from Latin America/Caribbean were predominantly Cuban.

  3. 3.

    Children <1 year of age, pregnant adolescents in the first trimester, and children with known or suspected cysticercosis (e.g., unexplained seizures) do not receive presumptive treatment with single dose Albendazole. Children <4 years and those with known or suspected cysticercosis (e.g., unexplained seizures) do not receive presumptive treatment with Praziquantel. Children <15 kg or measuring <90 cm and pregnant adolescents do not receive presumptive treatment with Ivermectin. (CDC Overseas Guidelines).

  4. 4.

    http://www2.gsu.edu/~psydlr/Diana_L._Robins,_Ph.D.html.

  5. 5.

    http://www.pedstest.com/Translations/PEDSinOtherLanguages.aspx.

  6. 6.

    http://agesandstages.com/what-is-asq/languages/.

  7. 7.

    The majority of publications on elevated blood lead levels among refugee children predate the CDC’s decision to revise the blood lead level reference value to 5 mcg/dL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 34th and Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Sural Shah M.D.

  2. Primary Care, Karabots Primary Care Centre, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 4865 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19139, USA

    Meera Siddharth M.D., F.A.A.P.

  3. Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine & The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, 15th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Katherine Yun M.D.

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  1. Sural Shah M.D.
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  2. Meera Siddharth M.D., F.A.A.P.
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  3. Katherine Yun M.D.
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Correspondence to Sural Shah M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Depts. of Internal Medicine & Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Aniyizhai Annamalai

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Shah, S., Siddharth, M., Yun, K. (2014). Health Issues in Refugee Children. In: Annamalai, A. (eds) Refugee Health Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0271-2_16

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