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The health of children adopted from India
1School of Nursing, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
Insights
Intercountry adoption health issues are common, with many Indian children experiencing premature birth, malnutrition, and developmental delays. Parents need better resources for these unanticipated health problems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Global Health
- Adoption Medicine
Background:
- Limited data exists on health issues in children undergoing intercountry adoption.
- This study addresses the gap by examining health problems in Indian children adopted by US families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey and document the health status of children adopted from India.
- To identify common health issues and parental challenges in managing them.
Main Methods:
- A mail questionnaire was administered to 166 families in Oregon who adopted 200 children from India between 1978 and 1987.
- Data collected included birth parameters, growth, feeding issues, and diagnosed health conditions.
Main Results:
- High rates of premature birth (37.5%) and low birth weight/length (3-4 SDs below WHO norms) were observed.
- Common issues included feeding problems (35.0%), salmonella (30.5%), malnutrition (22.0%), anemia (18.5%), and developmental delays (18.0%).
- Many children lacked screening for endemic diseases like hepatitis B and tuberculosis; parents reported unanticipated health problems.
Conclusions:
- Children adopted from India present significant health challenges, including nutritional deficiencies and developmental delays.
- Existing medical reports from India often do not fully disclose health issues, surprising adoptive parents.
- Enhanced parental support and resources are crucial for managing the health needs of internationally adopted children.
Abstract:
Little information is presently available about health issues associated with intercountry adoptions. This research starts to fill this gap by surveying the health problems of 200 children from India adopted by 166 Oregon families during the period 1978-1987. Parents' responses to a mail questionnaire revealed that at least 37.5% of the children were premature. The children's birth weights and birth lengths were 3 to 4 SDs below WHO norms, and almost all the children's weights and heights by age, at time of arrival in the United States were below WHO's 50th percentile value. Feeding problems were frequent (35.0%), as were salmonella (30.5%), malnutrition (22.0%), anemia (18.5%), and developmental delays (18.0%). Many children were not tested for communicable diseases endemic to India such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis and salmonellosis. Many diseases and health problems were unanticipated by parents on the basis of medical reports received from India, and parents expressed a need for greater support and better resources in dealing with these health problems.