Children's health

Key messages for primary care practitioners

• Please refer to Assessing patients with symptoms for unwell children who have recently arrived from abroad.
• Consider any child's general growth and development; encourage anyone who might be eligible to apply for the Healthy Start [external link] scheme to make an application.
• Ensure all children are up to date with the UK immunisation schedule, and opportunistically ask about any travel plans to visit the family country of origin. See NaTHNaC [external link] for travel health advice.
• Consider all children's dental health and refer for dental assessment as necessary.
• Consider all children's vision and hearing. If appropriate refer for assessment.
• Children may be particularly unsettled by migration and may experience emotional, behavioural or physical symptoms as a result, this will particularly apply to vulnerable migrants.
• Please see the individual country child health page for issues specifically relevant to that country.
• Be aware that some religions/cultures have particular beliefs/practices around babies/children e.g. particular rites for babies. Explore the parent/guardian's beliefs or understanding of child health issues.
• Be aware of cultural practices that may expose children to chemical hazards.