Children who are adopted, whether domestically or internationally, have unique healthcare needs that should be assessed as soon as possible, according to new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians and other healthcare workers should play a significant role in the adoption process, the guideline authors emphasize. “Adopted children often don’t have full medical histories or have experienced trauma in life, which leads to a more complex medical exam when it comes to physical, mental or behavioral concerns,” said lead author Dr. Veronnie Faye Jones of the University of Louisville in Kentucky. “We’ve learned more in recent years about what prior trauma can do, especially for brain development,” she told Reuters Health in a phone interview. “We should remind families that we’re here to help them along the journey.” In the new guidance, Jones and co-author Dr. Elaine Schulte of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City outlined trends in domestic and international adoption. They also review components of the health evaluation, the preadoption visit, the initial medical history review, the initial physical exam and chronic health concerns. Approximately 120,000 children are adopted in the U.S. each year, they note.
Newly adopted children need specialized health exams
Published on: May 4, 2019 10:51 PM