Guidelines for Inter-Country Adoption of a Thai Child
www.
1. It is necessary for the applicants to make adoption application through the competent social welfare authority in their country i.e. the governmental organizations which is responsible for Social Welfare (Competent Authority) or the non-governmental Child Welfare Organization which is licensed by their government to handle the matter of Inter-Country adoption.
2. Under the Child Adoption Act of 1979 of Thailand, all Inter-Country adoption application have to be proceeded through the Department of Social Development and Welfare (DSDW : Competent Authority ) or the non-governmental child welfare agencies (Authorized Agencies) which are particularly authorized by DSDW, in cooperation with the Competent Authority and under the direction of the Child Adoption Board of Thailand. The Board members comprise the representatives of various concerned authorities and qualified person. The Director General of DSDW is designated as the chairman if the Board while the Director of the Child Adoption Center of the Bureau of Anti – Trafficking in Women and Children, Department of Social Development and Welfare, functions as the secretary of the Board. Private Adoption is not allowed.
3. Preliminary qualification of applicants for adoption are as follows :
Be at least 25 years of age and be at least fifteen years older than the child adopted.
Be eligible to adopt a foreign child under the concerned law of country of domicile.
Have legitimate spouse in case of applying family.
4. Adoption applications and documents, including those for adoption of step-children or relatives have to be submitted by the Competent Authority to DSDW or Authorized Agencies, In this connection, the Competent Authority has to provide DSDW or Authorized Agencies with the three documents as follows :
A Home Study Report made by the Competent Authority which should be included of the applicant’s physical and mental health, family status, assets, liabilities and financial standing, personal reputation, conditions of residence and surrounding, size of family maturity and ability to give love and care to the child, motivation and any special reasons related to the welfare and interest of the child, parental relationship and obligation with the children born out of previous marriages (if applicable), and other matters pertinent to the applicants.
A statement of approval made by the Competent Authority or the responsible authority as the case may be, confirming that the applicants are qualified for adoption under the concerned legislation in their country and are in all respects suitable to be the adoptive parents of a foreign child.
A statement made by the Competent Authority agreeing to supervise the pre-adoption placement of a child in case such placement is granted to the applicants and to provide three bi-monthly progress reports to DSDW. The pre-adoption placement period is a probationary period of not less than six months.
5. An official Adoption Application (as attached) is to be filled out and returned by the applicants to DSDW or Authorized Agencies via the Competent Authority. Such completed Application has to be attached with the additional required documents, alien certificates and residence certificate as cited below :
Copy of passport or identity card.
Copy of document certifying marriage or divorce (if any).
Medical certificate verifying good physical health and mental stability indication and the applicants’ infertility (if any)
Document certifying occupation and income.
Document certifying current financial status (dating back not more than six months).
Document certifying asset.
Four photographs of the applicant and spouse (if any) size 4.5 x 6 centimetres, applicant’s children and the home area (photograph taken dating back not over than six months)
Copy of law, regulation or document from relevant authorities of the country of domicile or residence of the applicant certifying the eligibility of an adopted child.
Copy of law, regulation or document from relevant authorities of the country of domicile or residence of the applicant certifying the eligibility of an adopted child to enter into such country. The prospective parents should check with their immigration authority of a child’s entry visa before applying especially in the case of Relative Adoption.
Letter of consent for adoption from applicant’s spouse or an approval order of the court in lieu of the spouse’s consent (if any).
Copy of work permit of alien (if any); and work contract.
References certifying the suitability if the applicants for adoption from at least two persons.
Confirmation from the Competent Authority or concerned authority that after the adoption is finalized under the Thai Law, it will also be legalized under the concerned Law of the applicants’ country when dye.
Police check / criminal record from the country of domicile and residence.
6. It is required that all of the documents have to be original and be verified by the Royal Thai Embassy or General Consulate in the applicants’ country, or sent through diplomatic channels. Accordingly, please note that our official language is Thai. However, English is applicable. Therefore, the documents in other languages have to be attached with their translation which must be translated by authorized, either in Thai or English, which have to be verified by the Royal Thai or Consulate.
7. For the applicants who have lived temporarily in a foreign country where they do not have permanent residence, the Home Study Report will have to be made and their eligibility for Inter-Country adoption will have to be assessed and confirmed by the Competent Authority in their country of domicile. Unless the applicants have been living in that country for at least not less than 6 months before submitting their application and will remain in that country until the adoption is finalized, cooperation maybe sought from the Competent Authority in the country where they have temporarily resided. The Competent Authority may prepare the Home Study Report and supervise the pre-adoption placement when due. The eligible for Inter-Country adoption may be confirmed by the Embassy of their country in such country. Furthermore, the permission for the child to be adopted to enter the countries have to be confirmed to DSDW by the concerned authorities of both countries.
8. When all of required documents are received , in certain cases, they will be submitted to the Child Adoption Board of which the results will be informed to the applicants through the Competent Authority whether or not they are approved as prospective adoption parents.
9. In case the application is processed through DSDW, the matching of the prospective adoptive parents with a child who is legally available for Inter-Country adoption, will be arranged by DSDW.
10. In case the adoption application is processed through the Authorized Agencies, DSDW is entitled to review and investigate (if needed) the background of the child to be adopted in order to be confirmed that the child is legally available for Inter-Country adoption. This investigation will have to be done before submitting the case to the Child Adoption Board.
11. After matching and the Board’s approval, photographs and information about background and health condition of the child will be sent through the Competent Authority to the prospective adoptive parents for consideration.
12.In case the prospective parents accept the child, the case will be further submitted to the Child Adoption Board and the Director General of the Department of Social Development and Welfare respectively for approval of pre-adoption placement either in Thailand or abroad. In case the prospective adoptive parents living abroad, the case will be accordingly submitted to the Minister of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security for a permission to take the child out of the kingdom for the purpose of arranging its adoption.
13. In case the pre-adoption placement is approved, a definite appointment will be made by DSDW through the Competent Authority in such countries for both of the prospective adoptive parents to travel to Thailand in order to meet with and be interviewed by the Child Adoption Board, and then to receive the child for pre-adoption placement. Please be advised the according to the current Ministerial Regulation, both of the prospective adoptive parents have to travel to Thailand to collect the child.
14. For children allocated by DSDW, DSDW will facilitate the issuance of documents necessary for travel of the child. Accordingly, the prospective adoptive parents should manage to stay on in Thailand for about two weeks for this purpose. The prospective adoptive parents have to be responsible for the expenses to be incurred by the travelling of the child to be adopted such as passport fee, air fares, transportation, and concerned medical fee etc.
15. For the second adoption of a Thai child, it could be possible to request with reasonable reason for DSDW social worker to escort the child to the country of the prospective adoptive parents. All the travel expenses to be incurred will be obligated by the prospective adoptive parents.
16. Upon returning to their country, the prospective adoptive parents are requested to report to the Competent Authority in order that the supervision of the pre-adoption placement of the child could be commenced.
17. When at least three bi-monthly report on the pre-adoption placement have been received and if the placement case to the Child Adoption Board for approval of finalization of such adoption under the Thai Law by registration.
18. It is obligated that the prospective adoptive parents have to register their adoption under Thai Law within the period of six months after acknowledging such notifications. The registration can be carried out either at the respective Royal Thai Embassy or at a District Office in Thailand. The adoption is then finalized under Thai Law. After this, the legalization of the adoption under the concerned Law of the respective country shall be carried out, the outcomes of which shall be informed to the DSDW by the Competent Authority.
19. Please be advised that it is not possible to apply for more than one child at one time, except twins, siblings or in the case of the adoption of the applicants’ Thai spouse. Generally, children who are available for adoption will be between 6 months to 4 years old. Children who are older than 4 years old or have medical problem or handicapped are considered as special needs children. As regards the period of processing an adoption application, it is not possible to specify such length. Nevertheless, in general cases, it approximately takes more or less than two years depending on such related factors i.e. the completeness of the required documents as above – mentioned and the availability of a child to suit each individual family of the prospective adoptive parents.
20. For adoption is provided free of charge. The prospective adoptive parent have to be responsible only for the expense to the incurred by the travelling of the child to be adopted such as passport fee, air fares, transportation, and concerned medical fee.
Child Adoption Center
Bureau of Anti-trafficking in Women and Children
Department of Social Development an Welfare
Address : 255 Ratchawithi Road
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel. : 662 354 7511, 662 354 7500, 662 354 7509
Fax : 662 354 7511, 662 354 7509
Email : adoption@loxinfo.co.th
For more information, please contact the Royal Thai Embassy , Consular Section, 29-30 Queen's Gate, LONDON SW7 5JB. Tel. 0207-5892944
Friday, 5 September 2008
Celebrating adoption in Thailand
BBC news web site.
Copy of article below:
International adoption has gone on for many years, and although many foreign governments are not keen on it, there is one that actually celebrates it.
BBC producer Gudrun Dalibor, who adopted a Thai toddler nine years ago, has just been back to Thailand to take part in a series of events, organised by the Thai Government, for hundreds of adopted returnees and their new parents from around the world.
Each of the 250 strings on the 'tree of life' represent one adoptee
"Is he Thai?" asked the doorman, pointing at our son, Joshua.
While not usually responsive to intrusive questions about our family, we didn't think it was unreasonable here.
A white European couple with their non-white son, checking in at Bangkok's five-star Dusit Thani Hotel. We nodded. "Many other families come today," he said.
By the end of the day, more than 600 people from 15 countries had gathered.
Some of the adopted Thai children now spoke only Finnish or German, Norwegian or English.
"So many Thai children from all over the world," said our son in amazement.
Tearful time
The welcoming ceremony that evening made me realise the week ahead would be full of emotion.
There would be moments of joy and sadness, and the sharing of experiences with others like us.
One nine-year old boy was crying, touched that his former carers remembered him after all these years
The event that still brings tears to my eyes, was our visit - along with some of the other parents and their children - to Pakkret Babies Home, on the outskirts of Bangkok.
This was where Joshua had spent the first two years of his life.
Many of the visiting children were overwhelmed.
One nine-year old boy was crying, touched that his former carers remembered him after all these years.
A little girl met up with her foster mother who had travelled miles to see her. Tears were flowing as they hugged each other.
Other children told me they felt a deep sense of shame having spent their early life in a children's home.
Looking for love
One room was filled with 30 baby cots.
The youngest adoptees at the event in Bangkok were two years old and the oldest, in their mid-20s
I remembered clearly the day, nine years ago, when I picked up our son from one of these and held him for the first time.
There was almost complete silence as we stood outside the babies play area.
Eight or 10 sat in a little pen, some curious, others staring at us through sad eyes.
Our son stood motionless, looking back at the babies, deep in thought.
These children are relatively well looked after but how can a ratio of 12 babies to one carer adequately meet the needs of any child?
The staff left us in no doubt what they believe: children need a family who love them and if that means going abroad, so be it.
Asking questions
Several months earlier, at our son's request, we had traced his birth parents in Thailand.
His father had been overjoyed to hear the news that his son was well and living with a family.
We travelled to the north-east of the country to meet him at a small guest house, close to the border with Laos.
I saw a programme on TV about children being reunited with their birth parents and I always hoped that one day this would happen to me
Thon, Joshua's birth father
I watched closely as the man, called Thon, gazed searchingly at our boy.
There were no physical similarities between them.
I had carefully put together a photo album for him which showed pictures of Joshua growing up in England.
"I saw a programme on TV," Thon said, "about children being reunited with their birth parents and I always hoped that one day this would happen to me. And now this day has come."
And then the questions started: "How is he doing in school, what sport does he like, does he eat well?"
Joshua was happy to answer for himself.
He wanted to talk about his life and the big question he had been desperate to ask: "Why?"
But the complicated family reasons which had led to his being given away for adoption suddenly did not seem important anymore.
A common goal
Amid controversy, Madonna is battling to adopt a Malawian child
Joshua's grandfather, as he emerged from his house, took his grandson's hands in his, saying: "You don't look like a Thai boy at all."
The reply was swift: "I must have been living in England for too long."
Soon we were joined by other family members: grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousins and neighbours.
The photo album was passed around and Joshua's relatives were delighted to learn that he eats Thai food at home in England, has Thai friends and learns about Thai culture.
It felt comfortable sitting on the floor, talking and laughing.
And then I understood.
Here were two families and, although far apart culturally and economically, we all had one common interest at heart: Joshua's welfare.
Fond farewell
How did they feel about him being with a foreign family?
"It's the best thing for him," they said.
"It is giving him the best opportunities, better chances in life."
And, anyway, they were hoping to see him again.
They asked if we would occasionally send a photograph and let them know how he was doing.
As we said goodbye, I saw tears in the eyes of the grandmother.
She put her arm around me as if to say: "I know you love him and you are looking after him."
The football we had bought that morning we gave to Joshua's cousins.
"We'll have another match next time," we promised
Copy of article below:
International adoption has gone on for many years, and although many foreign governments are not keen on it, there is one that actually celebrates it.
BBC producer Gudrun Dalibor, who adopted a Thai toddler nine years ago, has just been back to Thailand to take part in a series of events, organised by the Thai Government, for hundreds of adopted returnees and their new parents from around the world.
Each of the 250 strings on the 'tree of life' represent one adoptee
"Is he Thai?" asked the doorman, pointing at our son, Joshua.
While not usually responsive to intrusive questions about our family, we didn't think it was unreasonable here.
A white European couple with their non-white son, checking in at Bangkok's five-star Dusit Thani Hotel. We nodded. "Many other families come today," he said.
By the end of the day, more than 600 people from 15 countries had gathered.
Some of the adopted Thai children now spoke only Finnish or German, Norwegian or English.
"So many Thai children from all over the world," said our son in amazement.
Tearful time
The welcoming ceremony that evening made me realise the week ahead would be full of emotion.
There would be moments of joy and sadness, and the sharing of experiences with others like us.
One nine-year old boy was crying, touched that his former carers remembered him after all these years
The event that still brings tears to my eyes, was our visit - along with some of the other parents and their children - to Pakkret Babies Home, on the outskirts of Bangkok.
This was where Joshua had spent the first two years of his life.
Many of the visiting children were overwhelmed.
One nine-year old boy was crying, touched that his former carers remembered him after all these years.
A little girl met up with her foster mother who had travelled miles to see her. Tears were flowing as they hugged each other.
Other children told me they felt a deep sense of shame having spent their early life in a children's home.
Looking for love
One room was filled with 30 baby cots.
The youngest adoptees at the event in Bangkok were two years old and the oldest, in their mid-20s
I remembered clearly the day, nine years ago, when I picked up our son from one of these and held him for the first time.
There was almost complete silence as we stood outside the babies play area.
Eight or 10 sat in a little pen, some curious, others staring at us through sad eyes.
Our son stood motionless, looking back at the babies, deep in thought.
These children are relatively well looked after but how can a ratio of 12 babies to one carer adequately meet the needs of any child?
The staff left us in no doubt what they believe: children need a family who love them and if that means going abroad, so be it.
Asking questions
Several months earlier, at our son's request, we had traced his birth parents in Thailand.
His father had been overjoyed to hear the news that his son was well and living with a family.
We travelled to the north-east of the country to meet him at a small guest house, close to the border with Laos.
I saw a programme on TV about children being reunited with their birth parents and I always hoped that one day this would happen to me
Thon, Joshua's birth father
I watched closely as the man, called Thon, gazed searchingly at our boy.
There were no physical similarities between them.
I had carefully put together a photo album for him which showed pictures of Joshua growing up in England.
"I saw a programme on TV," Thon said, "about children being reunited with their birth parents and I always hoped that one day this would happen to me. And now this day has come."
And then the questions started: "How is he doing in school, what sport does he like, does he eat well?"
Joshua was happy to answer for himself.
He wanted to talk about his life and the big question he had been desperate to ask: "Why?"
But the complicated family reasons which had led to his being given away for adoption suddenly did not seem important anymore.
A common goal
Amid controversy, Madonna is battling to adopt a Malawian child
Joshua's grandfather, as he emerged from his house, took his grandson's hands in his, saying: "You don't look like a Thai boy at all."
The reply was swift: "I must have been living in England for too long."
Soon we were joined by other family members: grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousins and neighbours.
The photo album was passed around and Joshua's relatives were delighted to learn that he eats Thai food at home in England, has Thai friends and learns about Thai culture.
It felt comfortable sitting on the floor, talking and laughing.
And then I understood.
Here were two families and, although far apart culturally and economically, we all had one common interest at heart: Joshua's welfare.
Fond farewell
How did they feel about him being with a foreign family?
"It's the best thing for him," they said.
"It is giving him the best opportunities, better chances in life."
And, anyway, they were hoping to see him again.
They asked if we would occasionally send a photograph and let them know how he was doing.
As we said goodbye, I saw tears in the eyes of the grandmother.
She put her arm around me as if to say: "I know you love him and you are looking after him."
The football we had bought that morning we gave to Joshua's cousins.
"We'll have another match next time," we promised
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
thailand state of emergency
emergency
Thailand PM Samak Sundaravej said life would go as usual despite Bangkok's state of emergency.
2 Sep 2008
Protests in support of Thai PM
Hundreds of demonstrators in Thailand have staged a protest in support of the country's embattled PM.
31 Aug 2008
Footage of 'tear gas' in Thailand
Some 30 people have been injured after police repelled a 2,000-strong crowd on the fourth day of protests in Thailand.
30 Aug 2008
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Thailand PM Samak Sundaravej said life would go as usual despite Bangkok's state of emergency.
2 Sep 2008
Protests in support of Thai PM
Hundreds of demonstrators in Thailand have staged a protest in support of the country's embattled PM.
31 Aug 2008
Footage of 'tear gas' in Thailand
Some 30 people have been injured after police repelled a 2,000-strong crowd on the fourth day of protests in Thailand.
30 Aug 2008
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Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Minister announces maternity and adoption leave changes
Minister announces maternity and adoption leave changes
29/07/2008 :: Northern Ireland :: Department for Employment and Learning
Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey today announced that from October this year working parents on maternity or adoption leave will benefit from changes in employment law.
From 5 October women expecting a baby, or employees expecting a child to be placed with them for adoption, will be able to benefit from their normal terms and conditions of employment, apart from pay, throughout their maternity or adoption leave. Before this change in the law, entitlement existed only during the first 26 weeks of leave (‘ordinary’ leave) with more limited terms and conditions during the second 26 weeks (‘additional’ leave).
The minister urged employers to look at their policies before these changes commence. He said: “These changes will require companies to review their internal policies to ensure that all normal terms and conditions continue for the full period of leave.
“By removing a key difference between the first 26 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and the second 26 weeks, we are making the system more straightforward and beneficial for those caring for children. If company policies currently make a distinction between the non-pay benefits available to a new mother or adopter during their ordinary and additional leave, these will need to be removed before this legislation comes into force.”
Revised guidance on maternity and adoption leave is available from the Department for Employment and Learning.
29/07/2008 :: Northern Ireland :: Department for Employment and Learning
Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey today announced that from October this year working parents on maternity or adoption leave will benefit from changes in employment law.
From 5 October women expecting a baby, or employees expecting a child to be placed with them for adoption, will be able to benefit from their normal terms and conditions of employment, apart from pay, throughout their maternity or adoption leave. Before this change in the law, entitlement existed only during the first 26 weeks of leave (‘ordinary’ leave) with more limited terms and conditions during the second 26 weeks (‘additional’ leave).
The minister urged employers to look at their policies before these changes commence. He said: “These changes will require companies to review their internal policies to ensure that all normal terms and conditions continue for the full period of leave.
“By removing a key difference between the first 26 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and the second 26 weeks, we are making the system more straightforward and beneficial for those caring for children. If company policies currently make a distinction between the non-pay benefits available to a new mother or adopter during their ordinary and additional leave, these will need to be removed before this legislation comes into force.”
Revised guidance on maternity and adoption leave is available from the Department for Employment and Learning.
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Legal
Bayh calls for US to negotiate with Vietnam on adoptions
Back to Front Page
U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., has joined colleagues in the Senate and House in calling for U.S. negotiations with Vietnam to establish a system of bilateral adoptions with appropriate safeguards.
Bayh is a member of the 215-member Congressional Coalition on Adoption.
In 2005 the U.S. and Vietnam signed a bilateral agreement on adoptions, and since then 1,403 Vietnamese orphans have been adopted by American families, a statement released on Tuesday said. But that agreement is set to expire on Sept. 1, and the “State Department has expressed concern over instances of fraud and abuse within the Vietnamese system.”
Members want Secretary of State Condolezza Rice to negotiate a new agreement which guards against current problems in the system. “We believe that signing an interim agreement with Vietnam is consistent with your goal of moving toward a Hague-compliant system, provided that such an agreement would contain enforceable safeguards,” they wrote in a letter to Rice. “We strongly support the transition to a Hague-compliant system in Vietnam. However, we also understand that the establishment of such a system can take years, and it is not in the best interest of children to remain institutionalized or homeless during the period of transition.”
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is a treaty which permits international adoption when no domestic family can be found.
“International adoptions can provide a safe, supportive, and caring family environment for thousands of children,” Bayh said. “Our State Department should redouble its efforts to strengthen safeguards in the Vietnamese adoption system so more American families can create loving homes for children who are truly in need.”
Back to Front Page
U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., has joined colleagues in the Senate and House in calling for U.S. negotiations with Vietnam to establish a system of bilateral adoptions with appropriate safeguards.
Bayh is a member of the 215-member Congressional Coalition on Adoption.
In 2005 the U.S. and Vietnam signed a bilateral agreement on adoptions, and since then 1,403 Vietnamese orphans have been adopted by American families, a statement released on Tuesday said. But that agreement is set to expire on Sept. 1, and the “State Department has expressed concern over instances of fraud and abuse within the Vietnamese system.”
Members want Secretary of State Condolezza Rice to negotiate a new agreement which guards against current problems in the system. “We believe that signing an interim agreement with Vietnam is consistent with your goal of moving toward a Hague-compliant system, provided that such an agreement would contain enforceable safeguards,” they wrote in a letter to Rice. “We strongly support the transition to a Hague-compliant system in Vietnam. However, we also understand that the establishment of such a system can take years, and it is not in the best interest of children to remain institutionalized or homeless during the period of transition.”
The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is a treaty which permits international adoption when no domestic family can be found.
“International adoptions can provide a safe, supportive, and caring family environment for thousands of children,” Bayh said. “Our State Department should redouble its efforts to strengthen safeguards in the Vietnamese adoption system so more American families can create loving homes for children who are truly in need.”
Health
Children Adopted From Poorer Countries May Need Repeat TB Test
By Nicole Ostrow
July 7 (Bloomberg) -- Children adopted in the U.S. from poorer countries may need a repeat test for tuberculosis, even after initial testing indicates they're free of the disease, a study found.
Of 203 children who tested negative for the disease and came back for a second test, 38 were found to have a latent infection that wasn't contagious, according to research in the July issue of the journal Pediatrics.
More than 20,000 children are adopted into the U.S. each year, and many come from countries where the rates of tuberculosis are high, according to the study. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends these children be tested for the disease when they arrive. The findings from this study should make a second test standard, researchers said.
``If it's negative, it's very important that they go on and have a repeat tuberculosis skin test to be sure,'' said Mary Allen Staat, a doctor and director of the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, in a July 2 telephone interview. ``By identifying them and treating them, we're really hoping to prevent them from getting tuberculosis disease that could make them sick or make them contagious to others.''
More than 2 billion people, or one-third of the world's population, are infected with the bacteria that cause TB, according to the World Health Organization. In 2006, there were 9.2 million new cases of TB and 1.7 million people died from the disease.
Tuberculosis is caused by germs spread through the air. It generally affects the lungs, although it can attack the kidneys, spine or brain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Test Results
Researchers in the study looked at 527 children who were tested for tuberculosis within two months of arriving in the U.S. Of those, 111, or 21 percent, tested positive for a latent form of the disease. Of the children who were negative, doctors retested 203 at least three months later.
The 38 children who had a positive second test were more likely to be malnourished at the initial visit than those who had a repeat negative test, according to researchers.
Children who are malnourished may not initially respond as well to the tuberculosis skin test, Staat said. With better nourishment, they tend to have a more accurate test result. Also, some children may become infected right before they leave their birth country, and it can take up to three months before that infection can be detected.
Missed Cases
``If we had not retested those children, we would've missed children that had a tuberculosis infection,'' she said. At the International Adoption Center, children are retested after six months.
Higher rates of TB were found in the study in children from Russia, China and Guatemala. While TB rates are also high in much of Africa, few children surveyed were from the continent.
People with a latent form of the disease aren't sick because the germs aren't active. They may develop TB in the future and are often prescribed medicine to stop that from happening.
Leonard Krilov, head of pediatric infectious diseases and the International Adoption Program at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, New York, on Long Island, said the program advises parents to have their children retested for TB within three to six months after the initial test.
A baby infected with the latent form of TB has a 10 to 20 percent lifetime risk of developing an active form of the disease, said Krilov, who wasn't involved in the study, in a July 3 telephone interview.
Sarah Long, a member of the committee on infectious diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a doctor at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, said based on these findings, the committee will likely take a look at its guidelines for tuberculosis testing for internationally adopted children.
In addition to tuberculosis, children adopted from other countries may be tested for HIV, hepatitis A, B and C, parasites and syphilis, she said in a July 2 telephone interview.
To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: July 7, 2008 06:00 EDT
By Nicole Ostrow
July 7 (Bloomberg) -- Children adopted in the U.S. from poorer countries may need a repeat test for tuberculosis, even after initial testing indicates they're free of the disease, a study found.
Of 203 children who tested negative for the disease and came back for a second test, 38 were found to have a latent infection that wasn't contagious, according to research in the July issue of the journal Pediatrics.
More than 20,000 children are adopted into the U.S. each year, and many come from countries where the rates of tuberculosis are high, according to the study. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends these children be tested for the disease when they arrive. The findings from this study should make a second test standard, researchers said.
``If it's negative, it's very important that they go on and have a repeat tuberculosis skin test to be sure,'' said Mary Allen Staat, a doctor and director of the International Adoption Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, in a July 2 telephone interview. ``By identifying them and treating them, we're really hoping to prevent them from getting tuberculosis disease that could make them sick or make them contagious to others.''
More than 2 billion people, or one-third of the world's population, are infected with the bacteria that cause TB, according to the World Health Organization. In 2006, there were 9.2 million new cases of TB and 1.7 million people died from the disease.
Tuberculosis is caused by germs spread through the air. It generally affects the lungs, although it can attack the kidneys, spine or brain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Test Results
Researchers in the study looked at 527 children who were tested for tuberculosis within two months of arriving in the U.S. Of those, 111, or 21 percent, tested positive for a latent form of the disease. Of the children who were negative, doctors retested 203 at least three months later.
The 38 children who had a positive second test were more likely to be malnourished at the initial visit than those who had a repeat negative test, according to researchers.
Children who are malnourished may not initially respond as well to the tuberculosis skin test, Staat said. With better nourishment, they tend to have a more accurate test result. Also, some children may become infected right before they leave their birth country, and it can take up to three months before that infection can be detected.
Missed Cases
``If we had not retested those children, we would've missed children that had a tuberculosis infection,'' she said. At the International Adoption Center, children are retested after six months.
Higher rates of TB were found in the study in children from Russia, China and Guatemala. While TB rates are also high in much of Africa, few children surveyed were from the continent.
People with a latent form of the disease aren't sick because the germs aren't active. They may develop TB in the future and are often prescribed medicine to stop that from happening.
Leonard Krilov, head of pediatric infectious diseases and the International Adoption Program at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, New York, on Long Island, said the program advises parents to have their children retested for TB within three to six months after the initial test.
A baby infected with the latent form of TB has a 10 to 20 percent lifetime risk of developing an active form of the disease, said Krilov, who wasn't involved in the study, in a July 3 telephone interview.
Sarah Long, a member of the committee on infectious diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a doctor at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, said based on these findings, the committee will likely take a look at its guidelines for tuberculosis testing for internationally adopted children.
In addition to tuberculosis, children adopted from other countries may be tested for HIV, hepatitis A, B and C, parasites and syphilis, she said in a July 2 telephone interview.
To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: July 7, 2008 06:00 EDT
BBC news
Talking Point
Adoption: Does race matter?
Race should not matter when adopting a child, according to new guidelines from the UK Government.
Aimed at helping children find stable, loving homes, the guidelines state that people should not be stopped from adopting just because they are a different colour from the child.
Professionals within the field, however, are reticent. They say that cross-racial adoption, no matter how well-intentioned, can cause more harm than good.
So does race matter? Can children really grow up stable, balanced and happy with parents with deep cultural differences? Or are loving parents of any colour and culture better than no parents at all?
The BBC's Alison Holt talks to children of a cross-racial adoption success story
The government believes the importance of family life to a child cannot be overstated. Health Minister Paul Boateng says "nothing is more important than a loving, caring environment".
Couples who have adopted, or want to, agree. They say no child should have to spend years in care while same race parents are found.
Others favour cross-racial adoption because, they say, it will help racial integration in society as a whole.
But the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering say it is better for children to be brought up by parents who understand the pressures they face.
For a black child to have white parents only makes its adopted status stand out. They also find it hard to know where they belong and cannot integrate with either black or white, say the BAAF.
Felicity Colliers of the BAAF explains her reservations
"Our experience is that sometimes they do experience lifelong confusion," says a spokeswoman.
There can also be added problems for these children if and when they try to find their natural parents.
For cross-racial adoption to work, parents should be heavily committed to teaching their children about their cultural background. It is not however a luxury that all parents can, or are prepared to, afford.
What do you think?
Adoption: Does race matter?
Race should not matter when adopting a child, according to new guidelines from the UK Government.
Aimed at helping children find stable, loving homes, the guidelines state that people should not be stopped from adopting just because they are a different colour from the child.
Professionals within the field, however, are reticent. They say that cross-racial adoption, no matter how well-intentioned, can cause more harm than good.
So does race matter? Can children really grow up stable, balanced and happy with parents with deep cultural differences? Or are loving parents of any colour and culture better than no parents at all?
The BBC's Alison Holt talks to children of a cross-racial adoption success story
The government believes the importance of family life to a child cannot be overstated. Health Minister Paul Boateng says "nothing is more important than a loving, caring environment".
Couples who have adopted, or want to, agree. They say no child should have to spend years in care while same race parents are found.
Others favour cross-racial adoption because, they say, it will help racial integration in society as a whole.
But the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering say it is better for children to be brought up by parents who understand the pressures they face.
For a black child to have white parents only makes its adopted status stand out. They also find it hard to know where they belong and cannot integrate with either black or white, say the BAAF.
Felicity Colliers of the BAAF explains her reservations
"Our experience is that sometimes they do experience lifelong confusion," says a spokeswoman.
There can also be added problems for these children if and when they try to find their natural parents.
For cross-racial adoption to work, parents should be heavily committed to teaching their children about their cultural background. It is not however a luxury that all parents can, or are prepared to, afford.
What do you think?
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