Health of children adopted from Colombia

Key words: International adoptions from Colombia, GLNBI Study Group of Paediatric Italian Society, Pre-adoptive medical records, Special health needs

Background - In the last few years the number of internationally adopted children from Colombia has increased in Italy, but their health status is unknown. This multicenter and retrospective study assesses the health status of these children at their arrival.
Methods - 331 children adopted from Colombia between June 2008 and November 2011 were evaluated at their arrival in Italy according to protocol of GLNBI Study Group of Paediatric Italian Society, and their health status was compared with their pre- adoptive medical records.
Results - 129 children came to Italy without pre-adoptive medical records. Gestational age and birth weight were reported respectively only in 23 and 25 children and background concerning hereditary diseases in 98 of them, while notices about delivery and Apgar score were always lacking. False and alarming diseases were often described in pre-adoptive records, whereas other important disorders were not reported. Growth delay for weight and height, iron deficiency anaemia, emotional and cognitive delays were frequent, likely in account of their pre-adoptive nutritional and emotional deprivations. Undiagnosed infectious diseases, especially intestinal parasites and hepatitis A, were often observed and immunization status was often incomplete, despite pre-adoptive vaccination schedules documented previous full vaccinations.
Conclusions - Children adopted from Colombia, similarly to those adopted from other nations, should receive special medical evaluation at their arrival in the new country, because they have “special health needs”.