One of the first things adoptive parents want to do when their baby or child comes home is go to a doctor for a full checkup. This way parents can have a baseline medical exam for their child and address any medical issues that were not detected before placement.
If you are adopting a child from the foster care system, parents should be informed where the child has been getting health care. Some parents continue to use the same provider. Other parents ask to have the records sent to a doctor they choose. Adoptive parents should be given all the medical information about the child since entering foster care. The former foster parents may have some additional information about your child’s general health.
If your child was born in another country, the doctor may want to provide more vaccinations. The doctor may also be interested in learning about health concerns in the country your child came from. Some children adopted internationally, especially those from China and Eastern Europe, have a number of other medical concerns. These may include infections like scabies, lice, latent tuberculosis, and intestinal parasites; rickets and other forms of malnutrition. Lead poisoning, should be checked especially in children adopted from China.
There are several conditions adopted children should be checked for once they are placed in an adoptive home. Depending on your child’s risk factors and the completeness of the medical records, the doctor may want to test for:
- Anemia.
- Blood lead levels.
- Developmental delays.
- Hepatitis B and C.
- HIV and AIDS.
- Intestinal parasites.
- Impaired hearing and vision.
- Metabolic disorders.
- Psychological and emotional problems.
- Fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects.
- Rickets.
- Syphilis and Herpes.
- Thyroid conditions and blood sugar levels.
- Tuberculosis
It’s common for adopted children, especially children who have been living in poverty, to get colds, minor infections, upset stomachs, and diarrhea shortly after moving home with their new family. This usually happens when children are exposed to new types of germs and a new diet. Typically, the sicknesses will resolve themselves as your child adjusts to the new home, diet and environment.
It’s normal for adopted children to experience emotional food related issues when they are adjusting to their new lives. One of the real problems adoptive parents may see related to food is hoarding food and eating to the point of vomiting. Both of these behaviors are signs of past food deprivation. Food problems often go away with appropriate medical care, however some children may require counseling and a few children may have life long eating disorders.
A good doctor, with experience treating adopted children, should help adoptive parents with questions or concerns about health and medical issues. The more adoptive parents understand their child’s health issues, the more able they will be to make informed decisions about the child’s medical care.
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