[Health status of gypsy and non-gypsy children in a health district in Granada].
AIM: To evaluate the health status of gypsy and non-gypsy children and to determine how far stereotypes need to be eradicated in order to improve decision-making. The aim of this investigation originated in the observation of different behaviors in the population of a health district in Granada, Spain, and in the apparent concentration of certain diseases in the pediatric population of the gypsy minority. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the clinical histories and variables of the mother and child health program of the Iznalloz Health Center were analyzed and compared. Of these clinical histories 149 (38.40%) belonged to gypsy children and 239 (61.59%) belonged to non-gypsy children. RESULTS: Outstanding variables were:a) the start of breastfeeding and its continuation until the third month were the same for both groups; b) gypsy children were up to 3.53 times more likely to be admitted to the neonatal unit than non-gypsy children; c) metabolic illness or degenerative illness accounted for 1.4%, and d) incomplete follow-up was up to 3.24 times more likely in gypsy children than in non-gypsy children.