The health status of children without resident permit consulting the Children's Hospital of Lausanne.

Objective: To assess social, economic and medical data concerning children without a resident permit taken into care by the Children's Hospital of Lausanne (HEL) in order to evaluate their specific needs.

Methods: Prospective exploratory study by a questionnaire including the socio-demographic, medical and education data of 103 children without a resident permit, who consulted the HEL for the first time between August 2003 and March 2006. These children were then recalled for a second check-up one year later in order to allow a regular monitoring.