Abstract
Introduction There has been a substantial rise in refugees entering Germany over the past years,
of which approximately one-third are underaged. Many end up in pediatric surgical
care, and little is known about the health of these individuals. Our study was designed
to assess the surgical-related health status of underage refugees based on a large
sample cohort.
Materials and Methods After ethics board approval, we used a structured questionnaire to collect demographic
information and surgical health-related elements in three large refugee accommodation
centers.
Results A total of 461 minor refugees were included. The majority were boys (54.5%) with
an average age of 8 years. Out of the eight recorded countries of origin, most children
came from Syria (33.6%) followed by Afghanistan (23.2%). Previous operative interventions
were recorded in 42.2% of participants. Among girls, 11% suffered genital mutilation.
Trauma was common and the most common mechanism was a fall from bicycle (38%) followed
by burn injuries (7.4%). Up to 20% of them experienced physical violence during the
flight or in the accommodation facility. Vaccination rates varied widely according
to origin. Of the participants, only 63% were vaccinated according to schedule. Chronic
diseases were found in only 13% of the study cohort, anemia being most prevalent at
4%.
Conclusion Minor refugees have specific health-related problems that must be considered to ensure
appropriate medical care. Many refugee children were victims of physical violence
and many girls suffered genital mutilation. Vaccination status is unreliable; therefore,
tetanus vaccination should always be considered when these patients seek pediatric
surgical care. Tailored anticipatory guidance should be provided to this patient population.
Keywords
refugee - children - vaccination - genital mutilation - trauma
