Health status follow-up of migrant children after arrival in France: A multicenter study in hospital outpatient clinics in the Paris region.

Purpose: Many studies have examined the health issues of international migrant children upon arrival in their host country. However, very few have described their health status long after settling. We aimed to assess the health status of migrant children two years after their arrival in a high-income country. Methods: We conducted a descriptive, longitudinal study among migrant children accompanied by parents who attended a migrant outpatient clinic in the Paris region, France, upon arrival between January 2018 and January 2021. A follow-up consultation was offered to all children at least two years after the initial consultation. Only children who attended the follow-up consultation were included in the study, and findings compared to status at initial consultation. Results: Fifty-seven children were included. The median age at arrival was 5.5 years and the male-to-female ratio was 0.73. The median delay between the two consultations was 2.8 years. The majority of the children (84%) were from Sub-Saharan Africa. At the follow-up consultation, half of the families had unstable housing. Thirty-three children (58%) had not received routine medical care. Overweight prevalence increased from 5% to 19% between the two visits ( Conclusion: Health issues in migrant children may be exacerbated by persistent precarity for at least two years after arrival. Beyond initial care, new immigrant families require long-term, specific medical and preventive support.