Finding a Doctor After Adoption
R. Scott Krupkin, M.D.
Throughout the adoption process the health and well-being of your child played a big part in your concerns and decisions. Now that you are back in the United States it is time to find a primary care physician such as a pediatrician or family medicine specialist to evaluate and help manage your child’s health care issues. Finding the right practitioner with whom you are comfortable may appear difficult for several reasons, but like all of the adoption process it can be accomplished.
This section has been written to provide you with some guidelines and resources to help you identify and locate a doctor for your child. Some qualities for the physician you seek should include a person experienced in pediatric care and who is also has some experience in working with foreign children, preferably children adopted from foreign countries. It helps to have some understanding of the medical terminology used by the host country and that your doctor have a heightened awareness of potential conditions that your child may bring from their country of origin. For instance, infectious diseases not necessarily common to the United States but frequently seen in your child’s host country may cause a variety of symptoms and can often be treated easily.
Your doctor should have an understanding of the emotional and physical problems seen in institutionalized children. Among the more common problems that come to light on returning home include attachment problems, behavioral difficulties and developmental delay.
Specific medical problems may require consultation with a specialist trained in other areas of medicine such as orthopedics, neurology, pulmonology, endocrinology, dermatology, physiatry, opthamology and urology. Other health care providers may play an important role in parental education and interventions aimed at maximizing your child’s growth, development and function. Providers such as psychologists, nurses, nutritionists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language specialists may play a direct role in managing medical and functional problems.
We all try to find doctors who are open and available to discuss our health concerns. For parents of foreign adopted children it is vital to develop a relationship with a physician who is not just a good doctor, but one who is willing to share an open-minded discussion about your child’s needs.
Here are some resources to get your started: Check with friends and family to get names of recommended physicians locally. Local hospitals often have referral departments to help identify suitable physicians. Talk to your adoption advisor about physicians used by other families. Contact the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org) or the American Academy of Family Physicians (www.aafp.org) to tap into their referral system. Additional information may be obtained by doing a web search on "adoption medicine". There are several national centers focused on the medical management of children adopted from outside the United States. Some provide evaluation services; others provide information and links to other resources.
Most adoption medicine specialists recommend a first medical visit within 72 hours of returning to the United States. For this reason, you should schedule the appointment prior to leaving the U.S. to complete the adoption. For more information about health and medical issues specific to internationally adopted children, see the section pertaining to the "Your Child’s Health After Adoption".
