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The Perinatal Risk Index: Early Risks Experienced by Domestic Adoptees in the United States

Kristine Marceau1, Marielena De Araujo-Greecher2, Emily S Miller3

  • 1Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.

Plos One
|March 25, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children domestically adopted in the US face significant perinatal risks, with nearly all experiencing some exposure. These risks may impact developmental trajectories compared to the general population.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal health
  • Adoption studies
  • Child development

Background:

  • Domestic adoption in the US involves a high-risk population of children.
  • Limited research exists on perinatal risks for domestically adopted children.
  • Understanding these risks is crucial for predicting developmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively assess the prevalence of perinatal risks in domestically adopted children in the US.
  • To compare risk prevalence in this population to national averages.
  • To inform future research on developmental trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized participant reports and medical records from 580 birth mothers.
  • Developed a comprehensive measure of perinatal risks, incorporating multiple reporters.
  • Analyzed data from nonrelative domestic adoption placements near birth (mean age 7 days).

Main Results:

  • Nearly all (99%) adopted children experienced some form of perinatal risk exposure.
  • While individual risk factors were generally low, several were more prevalent than national estimates.
  • Birth mothers placing children for domestic adoption reported higher overall perinatal risks than the national average.

Conclusions:

  • Domestically adopted children in the US are exposed to a high prevalence of perinatal risks.
  • These risks may systematically influence developmental trajectories compared to the general population.
  • Further research is needed to understand the long-term impact of these risks.

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