INTRODUCTION: Adopted and orphans children are at increased risk of infections acquired in their region of origin. The number of orphans and adopted children in the Bosnia and Herzegovina increased rapidly during the past decade after the war in Bosnia. Aim of this article is to show that care and nutrition are better for development of children in organized crowded conditions then in normal poor residential population. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Retrospective study was conducted on 300 children who were evaluated after arrival in orphanage Bjelave Sarajevo during the period from 1999-2008 and a case-matched study was conducted on a subgroup of 120 children who resided in either an orphanage or foster care before adoption. A descriptive analysis of measurements and analysis of incidence of obesity and malnourishment in children were performed with the use of Sigmastat Statistics and Microsoft Access. RESULTS: No differences were found in the incidence of orphans and other children after pediatrics examinations or laboratory investigations for significant infections related to location of residence before adoption and after arrival in orphanage. We found increasing number of doctors visits and increased prescription of antibiotics and first examinations compared to children examinations in Public Health Institution Sarajevo. Research showed that healthy orphan children in Bosnia and Herzegovina are healthier (height, weight, and others parameters) then in other normal residential conditions. DISCUSSION: Judicious use of screening tests and appropriate treatment are critical to ensure health of this population. Assessing children health is important for prevention of transmission of infectious diseases to their adoptive families and to track changes in patterns of infectious diseases .CONCLUSIONS: Directed screening tests should be a routine component of medical evaluation of all children adopted from orphanage and before arrival in orphanage, regardless of age, sex, or region of origin.
Key words: Measures, Orphans, Children, Screening, Examination
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