In general, most of the children who arrive in Spain do not reflect the rates of malnutrition observed in their countries of origin, although certain specific nutritional deficiencies (iron, rickets, vitamin A) may be detected. At the present time, being a member of an ethnic minority should not be a risk factor for malnutrition owing to deficiency disease, and, with the exception of children of newly arrived immigrants, the nutritional status and growth of these children should be similar to that of children of the same socioeconomic status in the country of destination. For a more effective monitoring of immigrant children, health professionals should be aware of the baseline nutritional status (using different anthropometric measurements) and genetic and sociocultural aspects in order to prevent possible iong-term disturbances, since these individuals are experiencing significant problems with overweight, especially those of the second generation. We also reviewed the gastrointestinal diseases that can be found in the immigrant child from the syndromic point of view in order to guide their diagnosis and treatment. Although, in general, they are similar to those observed in the native population, given the particular environmental characteristics and the genetic load of these children, we do detect differences in the prevalence of certain diseases, aside from those associated with the tropics. In addition, coping problems or adjustment disorders frequently occur and are expressed mainly in the form of somatization and vague symptoms that indicate relational problems, with abdominal pain being the most common symptom in these children.

Gastrointestinal disease child immigrants Nutritional disorders

immigrant abdominal pain human hepatobiliary disease genetic load child nutrition malabsorption gastrointestinal disease ethnic group obesity social status tropics environmental factor Spain growth Review dental caries diarrhea prevalence gastrointestinal symptom heredity malnutrition Gastrointestinal Tract anthropometry social class monitoring nutritional status somatization health practitioner