health care

The Care of Refugee and Immigrant Children

The following is a general outline on approaching  care of a refugee or immigrant child.

Comprehensive Health Screen –In addition to a general history and physical, providers should be aware of the unique health care needs of the immigrant or refugee child. The following are examples of what a pediatrician should consider when evaluating the health of an immigrant or refugee child:

  • Nutrition (under-nutrition, malnutrition, vitamin/ nutrient deficiency or obesity)
  • Exposures (lead, opium, heroin, betel nut, herbal treatments)
  • Infectious Diseases (endemic to country of origin)
  • Mental Health (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder)
  • Cultural Practices (female genital cutting or traditional cutting)

Access- connect children with public benefits and ensure that there is proper access to healthcare while in the States. (more…)

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Help support the ACE Kids Act to promote the medical home concept for medically complex children on Medicaid
The Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids (ACE) Act was first introduced in the House in June 2014 by Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla) to improve care for children with complex medical needs on Medicaid. Recently, it has been introduced to the Senate on January 29th, 2015 and re-introduced in the House on January 27th, 2015 with bipartisan support. These children have multiple diagnoses and often require multiple specialists which is why we need to support this legislation so that they can have a place to call their medical home.

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Update: Protect Key Programs Critical to Child Nutrition

In a previous post on June 23, 2014, Dr. Michelle Ting highlighted H.R. 4800 (Sec. 739), the U.S. House bill concerning the Agriculture Department’s 2015 FY budget. Dr. Ting explained that the bill threatens to weaken federal child nutrition programs by creating a waiver from compliance with current nutrition requirements for schools that are able to demonstrate a net loss, for at least six months, from operating a food service program. With many children receiving as much as 50% of their daily caloric intake from meals at school, school nutrition standards play a large role in reducing the rate of pediatric obesity. (more…)