A study by the University of Rochester Medical Center published today in the journal Pediatrics talks about the many challenges doctors face in trying to screen refugee children arriving in the United States.
They include differences in cultural and religious beliefs, language barriers and different educational levels. About 70,000 refugees are admitted to the U.S. each year, and about one-third of them are children. Rochester takes in 750 of those refugees annually.
A typical issue: different belief among the parents make it difficult for doctors to assess a child’s health or whether they have a disability. Dr. Abigail Kroening says they hope this study will help doctors steer around the pitfalls.