While adoption provides a child with a permanent family, an adopted child has a different medical history than his parents. Sometimes, medical data is complex and parents should have as much information as possible for treating any issues or illnesses. Adoption does not always allow parents to get an accurate medical history on their child, and many must be willing to live with some unknown factors.
Identification
A child’s medical background is an important aspect of his history. The medical background of a child includes his prenatal care and the medical history of his birth mother and family members; the child’s physical, social and emotional history; and developmental milestones or delays.
Availability
Medical history for a child may not always be available to parents because of the situation surrounding the adoption. The Child Welfare Information Gateway states several reasons why information may not be available for a child, such as the complexity of the child’s background, changes in social workers or recordkeeping, or the child's reluctance to disclose traumatic events.
Importance
Medical background for an adopted child is important to know for various reasons. When considering the adoption of a particular child, parents want to know what medical history is available to help with making a decision. Some children have conditions that parents are not ready to care for. A child with an illness can receive treatment if parents are aware of his medical background. Receiving prompt treatment may shorten the course of a disease or reduce complications.
Considerations
Parents who have access to some of their child’s medical background may be limited in finding results. There is some information that may not be available, but parents may ask appropriately of social workers, caregivers or other professionals involved with the adoption of their child. Important information to know could be prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol; a family history of major illnesses, such as certain types of cancer; a history of infectious diseases, both for the child and the birth mother during pregnancy; a history of abuse or neglect; information about medical procedures, such as surgery or immunizations; and a background of the various places a child may have lived.
International Adoption
Parents who adopt a child from another country may not have access to his medical history due to the circumstances of the adoption. Some children are abandoned and placed for adoption with unknown whereabouts of the birth parents. Caregivers may only provide information about the child since his placement in the system. Many children undergo physical exams and results are given to prospective adoptive parents. Some countries have limited processes for testing, such as lab work or immunizations, so parents should have a child examined by a doctor soon after arriving in the United States. International adoption usually provides very limited medical background for children, so parents choosing this course must make careful decisions based on the information they know.
