Copyright © 1999 by Beth M. Waggenspack 

Long before you are presented with a referral, you need to do some very decisive thinking about the possible medical, psychological, and emotional conditions you might face with your adopted child. One way to prepare is to take some time to write down a list of medical conditions that you think you CAN handle (such as developmental delay, undescended testicle, crossed eyes, parental history of mental illness, etc.) and those conditions you CANNOT imagine yourself dealing with (amputation, heart condition, loss of vision, etc.) Put that list in a place where you can retrieve it when the referral comes.

Then, once your referral arrives and while you're waiting for one of our recommended international doctors to give you her/his opinion, you can use your list of conditions to remind yourself of your thinking in the time when you were cool and logical rather than faced with a picture and a real person to decide about.

This pre-referral planning is one method that assists you in decision-making (it doesn't take away the agony of turning down a referral, but it does help in marshalling your thoughts). Since your list was compiled at a time when your heart wasn't so involved, it provides a clearer picture for you to contemplate.

Any international adoption referral may present you with confusing diagnoses and terminology not familiar to western doctors. One site that is particularly useful in explaining some of the Eastern European terminology is run by Dr. Eric Downing at http://www.russianadoption.org/adoptionfaq.htm In addition, the doctors skilled in reviewing international referral documents should be able to guide you in deciphering what might be bewildering information. You will find a list of those doctors on our Medical Resources list.

You may be told that your child had medical conditions listed that are false and just were put there to “make the child eligible for adoption.” This may have been true in the far past, but for the last several years, ethical agencies and adoption centers within the various countries have attempted to provide complete and accurate information on their referred children. If you are given a referral, you should assume that the conditions described there do exist in some form, and you will need to make your decision accordingly.

The alphabetical list below is not exhaustive, but it has been created with the help of many adoptive families who were given similar documents and diagnoses. Please also consult the other EEAC documents under medical information, dental health, and mental health to become more informed in this vital decision-making process.

Allergies

Milk intolerance Wheat intolerance Insects Other

Birthmark on visible part of body

Blood disorder

Thalassemia Sickle cell anemia Hemophilia Diabetes Anemia Hepatitis B. carrier Hepatitis C

Burns (needing plastic surgery)

On arms and legs On face On other parts of body Mild Severe

Cerebral Palsy

Mild Moderate Severe

Child needing sex change due to injury or birth defect

Child requiring wheel chair living

Cleft

Cleft lip Cleft palate Cleft lip and palate Facial clefts

CMV (Cytomegalovirus)

Decayed teeth

Dehydration

Developmental delay (delayed emotionally, physically, and/or socially)

Mild Severe

Dwarfism

Emotional Problems

Post-traumatic stress syndrome Lack of education Difficulty trusting adults Sleep problems History of time spent as street child begging and stealing to survive

Enuresis/encopresis

Exposure to nuclear environmental fallout

Failure to Thrive (Psychosocial Dwarfism)

Family history

Alcoholism Drug Usage Parental mental illness Parental mental retardation Parental neglect Family history of medical problems Parent in jail Absence or incomplete family history

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effect

Hearing issues

Partial hearing, stable Partial hearing, unstable Totally deaf

Heart defect

Minor (murmur) Major (requires open heart surgery)

Hernia

Umbilical Hietal

History of abuse

Physical Sexual

History of Acute/recurring infections

Otitis media (ear infection) Upper respiratory tract infection Bronchitis Urinary tract infection Pneumonia

History of other infectious diseases e.g. mumps, measles, rub ella

Hyperactivity

Mild Severe

Kidney malfunction

Mild Severe

Learning Disability

Mild/Moderate Severe

Lead toxicity

Low birth weight

Malformations

Webbing of fingers and/or toes Partially formed fingers and/or toes Club foot or feet Missing/malformed ears Missing/malformed fingers and/or toes Missing limb/limbs Malformed limb/limbs

Malnutrition

Mild Severe

Meningitis

Mental conditions

Retardation

Mild Severe

Depression

Mild Severe

Missing/compromised organ

Multiple Birth defects

Orthopedic problem, correctable Shortened Achilles' tendon Shortened/missing leg or foot Congenital hip defect

Parasites

Polio

Premature birth

Rickets

Seizure disorders (Epilepsy)

Mild Severe Controlled with medication

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Positive VDRL (Congenital Syphilis) Other STD

Skin conditions

Eczema Scabies Unexplained rashes

Speech and language

Stuttering Delayed speech No words at appropriate age

Spina Bifida

Testicle abnormalit ies

Undescended Missing

Tuberculosis

Active (treatable) Inactive (requiring preventative care)

Vision issues

Vision in one eye Poor or unstable eyesight Crossed or wandering eye/eyes (amblyopia/strabismus) Totally blind