adoption medicine

adoption medicine, field of medicine concerned with the care and anxieties of families and children involved in international adoptions. A multidisciplinary team of physicians works with the adopting parents before, during, and after the adoption process, helping them understand the unique risks faced by children from their particular adoption area.

Doctors from the fields of pediatrics, psychology, infectious diseases, rehabilitation therapy, and behavioral and developmental medicine review the adopted child’s dossier before the adoption process takes place. These professionals advise the new parents on what questions to ask—for example, about family history, the health of the child’s siblings, the course of the mother’s pregnancy, and the birth of the child. With answers to these questions, the parents and physicians are better able to predict what future medical and emotional care the child will need and what problems may be expected. This team also works with the family after adoption, examining the child and setting baseline standards for future growth and development.

There are unique medical problems children may face in transitioning between their native homes and their new ones. Certain diseases are more common in specific geographical areas. In certain parts of Asia, some intestinal parasites are common, such as ascaris, giardia, and scabies. Impetigo tends to be relatively common in orphanages in less-developed countries. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is seen in various countries. Syphilis is common in any country where infants may be abandoned. Depending on the condition of the mother during her pregnancy, fetal alcohol syndrome may be a risk, as are other developmental delays. In general, it is felt that for every three months that a child spends in an orphanage, there may be a one-month developmental delay.

The child of a birth mother infected with hepatitis B (HBV) can be a chronic carrier. There is also a risk for common forms of hepatitis—hepatitis A (HAV), HBV, and hepatitis C (HCV). In some countries there is a greater risk that the proper immunization and vaccination schedule has not been followed, leading to infections with childhood illnesses that are not a problem in more-developed countries. There are also malnutrition issues to be considered, as well as attachment problems. Metabolic problems, such as G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency and thyroid diseases, may also occur.

Not all children adopted internationally will be sick or in need of significant medical attention in their future. However, because of the locations of their origination, most are at a higher risk of some disorders. In the first year of life, it is normal for any child to be sick with coughs, colds, and other minor illnesses 8 to 12 times. The stress on the adopting family from these normal exposures to new environments may be higher in international adoption situations. Information about the child’s initial health can help ease the stress of these normal childhood experiences. This is why adoption medicine is critical in helping families attain successful, healthy adoptions.