International Adoption and Stress Response Study

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study aims to provide information about the emotional and physiological responses of post-institutionalized children in both a stressful situation (immunization) and a play situation.

Detailed Description
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During the last decade, international adoptions have doubled in the United States. Because many of these infants and children have experienced institutionalization and poor caretaking before their adoption, international adoptees have special medical and emotional needs that must be met by both their parents and pediatricians. Currently, most clinical information about these children has focused on their physical health status so that protocols for evaluation and treatment can be established. Some systematic research has also focused on their overall developmental status including both cognitive and motor capabilities. These studies show that most of the children are developmentally delayed upon arrival to the U.S. Furthermore, follow-up studies have found international adoptees to score (on the average) significantly lower in cognitive functioning than their nonadopted peers even after spending substantial time in their adopting homes and falling mostly within the normal range. Not surprisingly, children's level of functioning at older ages is related to the length of time spent in institutional care. These findings are consistent with an emerging literature on the lingering effects of early adversity on children's development. Potent adverse circumstances may include the unbuffered effects of poverty, experience in an institutional setting, physical or sexual abuse, and parental negligence Regardless of the source, children who are not protected from these disadvantageous situations demonstrate changes in their behavior as well as their biophysiological regulation.

Official Title
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International Adoption and Stress Response Study

Conditions
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Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Behavioral, Development


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Infants less than 1 year old Adopted infants Control group of non-adopted infants Exclusion Criteria: Children greater than 1 year old

Ages Eligible for Study
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Maximum Age: 1 Year

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| international adopted infants<br>international adoptees making their first visit to international adoption clinic | Behavioral: Behavioral, Development<br> <br> |
| Control infants<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cortisol response levels |  | At clinic visit before and after intervention | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Adoption, Stress Response, Child Development