The impacts of the Syrian conflict on child and adolescent health: a scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Background The Syrian conflict has had a profound impact on Syrian children and adolescents. We sought to determine the extent and range of literature on the conflict’s health effects on this vulnerable population. Methods A scoping review describing the impact of the Syrian conflict on children was undertaken while utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Extension for Scoping Reviews methodology. Qualitative thematic analyses were undertaken to both identify patterns of morbidity and mortality and gaps in evidence. Results A total of 982 articles meeting search criteria were identified between 1 January 2011 and 30 April 2021. After iterative screening, 12 were identified from academic databases and 4 were identified from grey literature and hand searching, yielding a total of 16 studies for final, full-text analysis. Four distinct themes recurred in the literature; these include children suffering from violent injury, a resurgence of communicable diseases, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency and impacts on their mental health. Conclusions The health of children and adolescents in Syria has been significantly impacted by the indiscriminate attacks against civilians, flagrant human rights violations and the disintegration of the national health care system. Neonates were largely absent from the literature. The themes from this scoping review can inform health programming priorities by aid organizations.