Reports on the health problems of Indochinese refugee children recently resettled in the United States. Study subjects were 400 Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Vietnamese elementary school children who were examined through the Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program in San Diego, California, over a 4-year period. The most immediate health problem was the high incidence of incomplete immunizations. Dental disease also was extensive among children of all ages and severe in nearly half of them. Active tuberculosis was rare. The most recently arrived children frequently had head lice, and bacterial and fungal skin infections were numerous. Other health problems included reversible hearing loss, skeletal deformities, partial paralysis, and scoliosis, intestinal parasites, and thyroid problems. Imaginative, flexible nurse practitioners could accomplish adequate assessments of these children and could identify health and developmental problems. More challenging was the follow-up and referral process. To overcome cultural and logistical barriers, nurse practitioners are advised to: learn as much as possible about the different ethnic groups in their communities, especially their health beliefs and practices; become acquainted with the voluntary agency or sponsor responsible for facilitating the relocation of each group of newcomers; and enlist the services of appropriate translators and specialists.
