Refugee children and inherited metabolic disorders: lessons from Türkiye and global implications.
Nearly 9% of Syrian refugee children screened for suspected metabolic disorders were diagnosed with one.
Refugee children and inherited metabolic disorders: lessons from Türkiye and global implications.
Türkiye hosts over 3 million Syrian refugees, many from consanguineous communities, increasing the risk of inherited metabolic disorders (inherited metabolic disorders).
This case-based review combines a systematic synthesis of the published literature with a retrospective case series of Syrian refugee children evaluated for suspected inherited metabolic disorders at a pediatric metabolism clinic in Adana, Türkiye (June 2023-January 2024).
27 of 303 Syrian refugee children evaluated were diagnosed with a metabolic disorder.
Consanguinity was present in 92.6% of cases.
The median diagnostic delay was 8 months.
Common clinical features included developmental delay and seizures.
Diagnoses most frequently involved amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism disorders.
By integrating original clinical data with systematically reviewed evidence, this study underscores the disproportionate burden of inherited metabolic disorders in refugee children and the cross-national consistency of diagnostic delays and healthcare access barriers.
Targeted interventions, including expanded newborn screening panels, interpreter services, and culturally adapted educational resources, are critically needed to improve early diagnosis and long-term outcomes in displaced populations.