Care of linguistic minorities in the pediatric population: challenges

When treating patients with limited English proficiency, particularly those who speak unusual languages, doctors in the United States encounter a variety of specific challenges. Speaking Mayan dialects is increasingly underrepresented in detention facilities and immigration courts on the U.S.-Mexico border. This issue is not limited to the delivery of health treatment. In the case of insufficient translator services, parent-child dynamics and other important information pertaining to paediatric treatment may be lost in translation. Different approaches could be used to alleviate the discrepancies in medical treatment experienced by people with LEP who speak both rare and more widely spoken languages. These include expanding and rewarding training programmes for professional interpreters, giving medical students specialized instruction in interpreter services, and standardizing interpretation services offered by regional consulates and nonprofit organizations for both medical and legal purposes.