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Medical care for migrant children in Europe: a practical recommendation for first and follow-up appointments

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Abstract

Between 2015 and 2017, an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 children were seeking asylum each year in EU/EEA countries. As access to high-quality health care is important, we collected and compared current recommendations across Europe for a consensus recommendation on medical care for migrant (asylum-seeking and refugee) children. Existing recommendations were collected from published literature and identified through national representatives from paediatric societies of 31 EU/EEA countries through the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP). Recommendations were systematically extracted and collected in a database. Those mentioned in at least one recommendation were evaluated for inclusion, and evidence on recommendations was specifically identified in literature searches focused on recent evidence from Europe. For eight EU/EEA countries, a national recommendation was identified. Growth and development, vision and hearing impairment, skin and dental problems, immunisations, anaemia, micronutrient deficiency, helminths, hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus, malaria, schistosomiasis, syphilis, tuberculosis, mental health disorder and sexual health were most frequently mentioned and therefore selected for inclusion in the recommendation.

Conclusion: The current document includes general recommendations on ethical standards, use of interpreters and specific recommendations for prevention or early detection of communicable and non-communicable diseases. It may serve as a tool to ensure the fundamental right that migrant children in Europe receive a comprehensive, patient-centred health care.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Ayesha Kadir and Anders Hjern for helpful comments on the manuscript. We would like to thank René-Marie Meignan for designing the icons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Willem Alexander Children’s Hospital, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Lenneke Schrier

  2. Kinderaerzte KurWerk, Poststrasse 9, 3400, Burgdorf, Switzerland

    Corinne Wyder

  3. Department of Paediatrics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Corinne Wyder

  4. Studio Pediatrico, Vecellio 33, USLSS6, Padova, Italy

    Stefano del Torso

  5. Department of Neonatology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Tom Stiris

  6. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Tom Stiris

  7. Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany

    Ulrich von Both

  8. German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site, Munich, Germany

    Ulrich von Both

  9. Paediatric Infection and Immunity, Section of Paediatric, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Ulrich von Both

  10. Migrant Health Service, University Children’s Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 33, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    Julia Brandenberger & Nicole Ritz

  11. Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology Unit, University Children’s Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Nicole Ritz

  12. Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

    Nicole Ritz

  13. Infectious Diseases Unit, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

    Nicole Ritz

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  1. Lenneke Schrier
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Contributions

LS, CW, SdT and NR conceived the manuscript. LS, CW and NR performed the acquisition. LS And NR

wrote the first draft of the manuscript. TS, UvB and JB critically and substantially revised the draft of the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript.

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Schrier, L., Wyder, C., del Torso, S. et al. Medical care for migrant children in Europe: a practical recommendation for first and follow-up appointments. Eur J Pediatr 178, 1449–1467 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-019-03405-9

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