Skip to main content

Refugee Children and their Families: The Bigger Picture

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Child Refugee and Migrant Health

Abstract

Behind every child in a refugee setting, there is a story. Their health needs and vulnerabilities are defined by their physical, emotional and mental make-up, and life circumstances and experiences around exposure to illness and healthcare availability, development and education, nutrition, shelter, sanitation, poverty, physical and mental trauma, and environmental degradation. This chapter explores the wider context of these factors at different levels—the child and their family, their community, and society at large.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Schütte S, Gemenne F, Zaman M, Flahault A, Depoux A. Connecting planetary health, climate change, and migration. Lancet Planet Health. 2018;2(2):e58–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Shute RH, Slee PT. Child development: theories and critical perspectives. 2nd ed. Hove, UK: Routledge; 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  3. May P. Child development in practice. 1st ed. Oxon: Routledge; 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ertem IO, Dogan DG, Gok CG, Kizilates SU, Caliskan A, Atay G, et al. A guide for monitoring child development in low- and middle-income countries. Pediatrics. 2008;121(3):e581–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Barouki R, Gluckman PD, Grandjean P, Hanson M, Heindel JJ. Developmental origins of non-communicable disease: implications for research and public health. Environ Health. 2012;11:42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Dawson-Hahn E, Pak-Gorstein S, Matheson J, Zhou C, Yun K, Scott K, et al. Growth trajectories of refugee and nonrefugee children in the United States. Pediatrics. 2016;138:6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lozoff B, Beard J, Connor J, Barbara F, Georgieff M, Schallert T. Long-lasting neural and behavioral effects of iron deficiency in infancy. Nutr Rev. 2006;64(5 Pt 2):S34–43. discussion S72-91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Olszak T, An D, Zeissig S, Vera MP, Richter J, Franke A, et al. Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function. Science. 2012;336(6080):489–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hooper LV, Littman DR, Macpherson AJ. Interactions between the microbiota and the immune system. Science. 2012;336(6086):1268–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rautava S, Luoto R, Salminen S, Isolauri E. Microbial contact during pregnancy, intestinal colonization and human disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012;9(10):565–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Robertson RC, Manges AR, Finlay BB, Prendergast AJ. The human microbiome and child growth—first 1000 days and beyond. Trends Microbiol. 2019;27(2):131–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dube SR, Felitti VJ, Dong M, Giles WH, Anda RF. The impact of adverse childhood experiences on health problems: evidence from four birth cohorts dating back to 1900. Prev Med. 2003;37(3):268–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hughes K, Bellis MA, Hardcastle KA, Sethi D, Butchart A, Mikton C, et al. The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health. 2017;2(8):e356–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Jiang S, Postovit L, Cattaneo A, Binder EB, Aitchison KJ. Epigenetic modifications in stress response genes associated with childhood trauma. Front Psych. 2019;10:808.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Opaas M, Varvin S. Relationships of childhood adverse experiences with mental health and quality of life at treatment start for adult refugees traumatized by pre-flight experiences of war and human rights violations. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2015;203(9):684–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hanes G, Sung L, Mutch R, Cherian S. Adversity and resilience amongst resettling Western Australian paediatric refugees. J Paediatr Child Health. 2017;53(9):882–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Calam R. Public health implications and risks for children and families resettled after exposure to armed conflict and displacement. Scand J Public Health. 2017;45(3):209–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Dong M, Anda RF, Felitti VJ, Williamson DF, Dube SR, Brown DW, et al. Childhood residential mobility and multiple health risks during adolescence and adulthood: the hidden role of adverse childhood experiences. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005;159(12):1104–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lee K, Collin J. Global change and health. 1st ed. London: Open University Press; 2005. (Understanding Public Health)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Rockstrom J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson A, Chapin FS, Lambin EF, et al. A safe operating space for humanity. Nature. 2009;461(7263):472–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Whitmee S, Haines A, Beyrer C, Boltz F, Capon AG, de Souza Dias BF, et al. Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: report of the Rockefeller Foundation–lancet commission on planetary health. Lancet. 2015;386(10007):1973–2028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Durkova P, Gromilova A, Kiss B, Plaku M. Climate refugees in the 21st century. 2012. United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Shock waves: managing the impacts of climate change on poverty—background papers [internet]. World Bank. [cited 2020 Nov 13]. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange/brief/shock-waves-managing-the-impacts-of-climate-change-on-poverty-background-papers

  24. Environmental Impact Toolkit—MSF transformational investment capacity [internet]. [cited 2020 Nov 27]. https://msf-transformation.org/news/environmentalimpacttoolkit/

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Robert Cooper, Fishburn, UK for the graphic design of Fig. 1.1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendix 1: Refugee Children and their Families: The Bigger Picture

Appendix 1: Refugee Children and their Families: The Bigger Picture

See Table 1.1

Table 1.1 Overview of different settings in which you may work with refugees and some of the health needs, vulnerabilities, and barriers to accessing healthcare that may be experienced in such a setting

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Harkensee, C., Walpole, S. (2021). Refugee Children and their Families: The Bigger Picture. In: Harkensee, C., Olness, K., Esmaili, B.E. (eds) Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74906-4_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74906-4_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-74905-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-74906-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics