Children on welfare have worse health than others, a dire report suggests

How is the health of children in child welfare (ASE)? Answer, FranceInter he went to meet the associations and doctors directly linked to these children in an edifying relationship.

In France, approximately 340,000 young people live in ASE, of which approximately 50% are placed in institutions or foster families. But according to a report by the National Observatory on Child Protection published in 2022, ASE children are treated less medically than others.

More than half of the young people hospitalized are in ASE

According to the report, the losers would be children who are victims of violence up to 20 years of life expectancy. “They will develop twice as many cardiovascular diseases, tumors, strokes, three times more respiratory problems, 11 times more dementia, there will be 37 times more depressive syndromes and suicide attempts… », detailed Dr. Celine Grecohead of the department of palliative and pain medicine at the Necker-Enfants Malades hospital in Paris (AP-HP) and president of the Im’Pactes association.

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Another doctor, the professor Guillaume Bronsardchild psychiatrist at Brest University Hospital, noted: more than half of young people hospitalized long-term are protected by the ASE. “This is way beyond what we should expect. This says a lot about their condition. “, He believes.

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ASE adolescents would stay longer than others in hospital

This is primarily effective on newborns, separated from their parents at birth following a placement order, who, for example, at the University Hospital of Nantes, may reside in the hospital for several months. As a result, their health may deteriorate due to staying in hospital for too long, even if they were born healthy. “ The newborns, separated from their mothers and deprived of any “attachment figure”, presented serious depressive syndromes and could even let themselves die due to lack of affection. », we read in the report FranceInter.

The pediatric departments of hospitals also welcome children and adolescents who suffer from psychological distress. Adolescents in social care spend more time than others in hospital services. Furthermore, their daily care is also problematic. At Nantes University Hospital, pediatricians see children with ASE pass by every day “less followed than those of the general population”.

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