[Health problems of foreign adopted children in Spain]

Michela Sonego1, Jesús García Pérez, Joaquín Pereira Candel

  • 1Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Madrid, España. michela@isciii.es

Medicina Clinica
|October 31, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Internationally adopted children in Spain exhibit significant health issues, with over 80% presenting with diseases like anemia, malnutrition, and parasitic infections, necessitating specialized medical attention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Global Health

Context:

  • International adoption presents unique health challenges for children.
  • Assessing the health status of internationally adopted children is crucial for early intervention.
  • Spain, like other countries, receives internationally adopted children requiring specific healthcare evaluations.

Purpose:

  • To evaluate the prevalence of various health problems in internationally adopted children residing in Spain.
  • To identify common acquired and congenital diseases affecting this population.
  • To establish baseline health data for this vulnerable group.

Summary:

  • A retrospective study analyzed 135 medical records of internationally adopted children in Madrid.
  • Prevalence rates indicated 32.3% had anemia, 30.2% had parasitosis, and 25.2% had malnutrition.
  • Only 18.9% of the children were found to be completely healthy, with 43.3% having two or more conditions.

Impact:

  • The findings highlight a high morbidity rate among internationally adopted children.
  • This underscores the critical need for specialized medical care and screening protocols for these children.
  • Improved healthcare strategies can enhance the long-term well-being of internationally adopted children.
Abstract

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