Pediatric Hospitalizations from Immigration Detention in Texas, 2015-2018

Abstract

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Impact of the Relational, Built, Community, and Policy/Political Environments on Immigrant Child Health: A Narrative Review

“…Congregate and unsanitary living situations increase the risk of infectious diseases, and requirements for safe and sanitary conditions in Customs and Border Protection custody do not include provision of soap [46 •]. Numerous publications discussed that the physical environment of detention is not safe for children and should be avoided at all costs [47]; these sentiments are further supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement, reaffirmed in 2022 [48].…”

Understanding the Healthcare Needs of Immigrant Children Currently and Previously in Government Custody: A Narrative

“…Clinicians reported a case of "post-traumatic stress disorder that was misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder and mistreated", "headache due to hypertension that was thought to be a [just a mild] headache", and "unrecognized acute kidney injury that lead to hypertension that then lead to seizure." Studies support that children previously detained had higher acuity and length of stay when admitted to the hospital compared to national averages (Nwadiuko et al 2022). Once released from custody, clinicians witnessed delays in establishing care with a primary care clinician due to cost, lack of transportation, fear of deportation, language barriers, lack of understanding of where to access pediatric health services, and fears related to the public charge policy.…”

“…News reports describe episodes of pediatric communicable disease transmission and detainee deaths while in custody (Bhatt and Peeler 2020). Pediatric immigration detention hospitalizations are also of higher acuity and require longer lengths of stay compared to the average pediatric hospitalization (Nwadiuko et al 2022). Case studies highlight the trauma and poor health conditions that children migrating to the U.S. experience during their migration and detention (Linton et al 2018).…”

Navigating immigration policy and promoting health equity: Practical strategies for clinicians

“…Policies within these areas can be conceptualized as threats (i.e., policies that may adversely affect immigrant health), harm reduction (i.e., policies that may mitigate negative impacts of these threats), and aspirations (i.e., potential policies that, if enacted, may promote immigrant health; Figure 1 ). Of note, other policy areas, including the detention of newly arrived immigrants, may also impact hospitalizations, 12 , 13 but a detailed discussion of border policies is beyond the scope of this article. Through the lens of this vignette depicting an undocumented immigrant whose experiences may reflect those with similar lived experiences, we will explore interior enforcement and public program policy threats, harm reduction opportunities, and aspirations for advancing health equity in the context of hospital medicine.…”