[Health problems of foreign adopted children in Spain]. / Problemas de salud de los niños extranjeros adoptados en España.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We decided to assess the health problems of internationally adopted children in Spain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 135 medical records from the Hospital Niño Jesus, Madrid. The prevalence of malnutrition, anemia, parasitosis and other acquired and congenital diseases was studied. RESULTS: 18.9% of children were considered completely healthy; 37.8% children had a single disease and 43.3% had two or more. 32.3% were found to have anemia, 30.2% parasitosis and 25.2% malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: The high morbidity figures observed in our study reinforces the need of special medical care in this group of children.