Clinical findings in Southeast Asian refugees
M. Barry, J. Craft, D. Coleman, H. O. Coulter and R. Horwitz
Since 1979, we have provided comprehensive medical care to a group of 142
Southeast Asian refugees who relocated in Connecticut. In this group, we
identified clinically important issues in child development. As plotted on
standard growth curves, 47% of refugee children were below the fifth
percentile in height for age and 22% were below the fifth percentile in
weight for height. Although these children are potentially at increased
risk for nutrition-related health problems, our clinical assessment did not
confirm malnutrition. We also confirm a high prevalence of intestinal
parasitism (59%), positive tuberculin test results (40%), and hepatitis B
antigenemia (16%), as observed previously by health authorities. We
conclude that anthropometry should not replace a clinical nutritional
assessment of refugee children.
