Research

The focus of research in the International Adoption Medicine Program is the effects of institutional care on growth and development, identification of children who need early intervention, and the health and medical issues of internationally adopted children.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Eastern European Growth Project: UPDATE AS OF JULY 2007
A total 120 children participated in the initial clinical assessment. These children were eligible to participate because they were between eight and 48 months of age at their time of arrival in the U.S., were from Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union countries and had their first clinic appointment with us within two to three weeks of their arrival.

We have learned from this research project that monitoring the health and development of internationally adopted children is critical for providing necessary interventions as early as possible . It helped to improve our clinical services. Now we are following all the children over the first years after adoption. We have found significant changes in the children’s development, physical growth, and growth hormone system during the first six months after adoption. However, these results suggest that at six months post-adoption, children are still experiencing significant changes in each of these three areas.

Scheduling of the 30-months post-arrival assessment to follow growth and development has already begun, and we look forward to publishing the results of our findings here. Please visit this page again soon!

NOTE: If you are due for a 30-months appointment, please contact Maria Kroupina by email at kroup003@umn.edu or by phone, 612-624-6609.

COLLABORATIONS

International Adoption Project (IAP)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) research

Bucharest Early Intervention Study

Siret Group Home Project

Center for Neurobehavioral Development (CNBD)

Half the Sky Foundation

Published results

Learn more about research in international adoption medicine