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| |    An Overview of International Adoption by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. Americans are adopting more and more children from other countries. Between 1988 and 1998, the number of these adoptions rose from about 9,000 to nearly 16,000 per year. In fact, international adoptions make up roughly one quarter of the 65,000 adoptions in the United States annually. For many parents, the opportunity to adopt a baby from overseas is the answer to their prayers. But the children and their families face some real problems above and beyond the usual challenges of adoption and child rearing in general. Many of the children arrive malnourished, with missed immunizations. They often have other medical conditions as well. Thankfully, these are usually easy to fix. However, some also have developmental and emotional issues that can be difficult to treat. Differences in place and time The likelihood of problems of one kind or another depends largely on the child's country of origin and on changing historical and political conditions. A country might rule, for example, that foreigners can adopt only children with severe physical disabilities. A few months later, though, the law may change. Because of these variables, an adoption agency that specializes in international adoptions--or in the specific country being considered--can be a tremendous help to parents. Issues that don't change Some aspects of international adoption remain constant, however, regardless of where the child comes from. Because these children often look different from their adoptive parents, they may face insensitive comments or outright prejudice. For children old enough to speak who don't know English, the trauma of suddenly not being able to communicate adds to the stress of the adoption. In addition, because the children's biological heritage links them to a different culture, their relationship to that culture becomes an issue for the parents to grapple with when the children are young, and for the children themselves when they are older. For example, parents of a child from Chile might commit themselves to exposing their child (and themselves) to Chilean culture. Or parents of a child from Russia might join a Russian community organization or church. For many parents, the act of adopting a child from a different country has political and ethical implications, too. They understand that they have benefited, in part, from the terrible conditions in the child's country of origin. Their child has a chance to lead a better life, but at the cost of being taken away from her own land and culture. Some families translate these concerns into action, perhaps by sending money and supplies to an orphanage in Chile or by taking an active role in an organization to assist Russian immigrants. Learning more and finding support If you are considering international adoption, you can find a lot of information and support on the Internet. The article "Resources for Adoptive Parents" has several leads to get you started. Other articles in this program give more details on medical problems and developmental and emotional issues.
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