Developmental Recovery and Deficit in Children Adopted from Eastern European Orphanages

This research examined the degree of developmental recovery during the 1^st year of placement in a sample of 124 children adopted from Eastern European orphanages. At the time of adoption, substantial growth and developmental delays were identified, with about half below the 5^th percentile on weight and on height. Results indicated that there was considerable catch-up in all areas at postadoption. However, older, later placed children exhibited more developmental delays compared with earlier adopted children. Regression analysis revealed that the degree of developmental delay at the time of adoption, along with the duration of time spent in the adoptive home and age at adoption placement, predicted significant amounts of variance associated with developmental catch-up. In contrast, weight and height at time of adoption were not related to children's development postadoption.     

Transforming Orphanage Care: A Case Example in Zimbabwe

The author presents the voices of boys from an orphanage in Zimbabwe that he himself grew up in over a period of 10 years. After gaining professional child and youth care training in Canada, he has returned to the orphanage seeking to be an advocate and a catalyst for change in order to assist the Director and Board of Governors in the transformation of the residence.     

Sanctuary or double-edged sword? Challenges confronting adolescents living at Nkosi's Haven in Johannesburg,South Africa

Living in an institution associated with HIV and AIDS is likely to exacerbate difficulties experienced by teenagers who have to cope with the normal stresses of adolescence. The aim of the study was to explore the challenges that adolescents living at Nkosi's Haven encounter and whether they experience any problems when interacting with their peers and other members of the community. The study was located within a qualitative research paradigm and utilised a purposive, non-probability sample of 15 participants recruited from two Nkosi's Havens. A semi-structured interview schedule was employed as the research tool, with in-depth one-on-one interviews adopted as the method of data collection. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data collected during the interviews. The main finding that emanated from the study was that Nkosi's Haven is indeed a place of care and nurturing as adolescents are afforded the opportunity to continue with their educational needs while basic and psychosocial needs are also addressed. However, it also emerged that rejection, discrimination, social exclusion and stigmatisation associated with the setting make it difficult for resident adolescents to integrate freely with their peers at school and in the community. The conclusion drawn is that Nkosi's Haven can be regarded as a double-edged sword as it presents both positive and negative factors that impact on its resident adolescents. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for community awareness programmes, policies and practice changes regarding employment and training of staff, and visiting of parents as well as future research.     

某孤儿院回族女性孤儿的人格特征与自我意识状况研究

目的了解某孤儿院回族女性孤儿的人格特征及自我意识状况,为进一步的心理干预提供科学依据。方法于2014年2-5月采用一般情况调查表、艾森克人格问卷(EPQ儿童版)、Piers-Harris儿童自我意识量表(PHCSS)对孤儿院收养的40名回族女性儿童进行调查。同时对这些孤儿就读学校的其他254名回族女童进行对照研究。结果回族女性孤儿EPQ的P分(2.90±2.82)低于正常回族女童组(4.28±2.82)和全国常模女童(4.27±2.24),差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),L分(16.83±3.44)显著高于正常回族女童组(13.56±4.31)与全国常模女童(14.41±3.65)(P<0.01),E分(13.90±4.37)明显低于全国常模女童(16.34±3.44)(P<0.01)。在合群因子上回族女性孤儿组(7.83±1.97)显著低于正常回族组女童(9.13±1.78)(P<0.05),与全国常模比较,除行为因子和焦虑因子外,自我意识其它因子及总分与全国常模女童比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01);回族孤儿组人格偏离在内外向(E)和掩饰性(L)上的发生率(50.0%,60.0%)明显高于正常回族儿童(21.7%,27.6%)(P<0.001);亲戚朋友组EPQ的N分(14.00±7.62)显著高于与兄弟姐妹组(6.40±2.88)(P<0.05),而L分在祖或外祖父母组(15.92±3.75)显著低于与兄弟姐妹组(19.80±0.45)(P<0.05);回族女性孤儿不同学习成绩之间EPQ各因子得分差异无统计学意义,但在自我意识总分,以及行为和合群因子分上各组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05或<0.01);学习成绩越差,表现越明显。结论回族女性孤儿心理卫生状况较差,主要表现在人格缺陷,自我意识水平低下。     

综合干预对重庆市某儿童福利院婴儿体智能发育影响的研究

目的 考察综合干预对重庆市某儿童福利院婴儿体智能发育的影响.方法 将来自福利院的48例8～9月龄婴儿随机分为对照组与干预组.干预组予游泳、抚触、早教与多感官刺激训练;对照组不做干预.干预前后采用格赛尔(Gesell)发育量表分别对两组婴儿的动作能、应物能、语言能、应人能4个能区进行评估.结果 1个月后评估表明:对照组,语言能和应物能所提高(P＜0.05),动作能、应物能及总体指数相比无显著差异.干预组动作能、应物能、语言能、应人能及总体指数均较前显著提高(P＜0.01).干预组各能区指数增高值均较对照组显著提高(P＜0.01).结论 对福利院儿童提供必要的丰富环境与疗育措施非常有效和重要.     

AIDS orphan tourism: A threat to young children in residential care

The dominant global perception that sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing an “AIDS orphan crisis”, coupled with growing trends in international voluntourism, has fostered a potentially high-risk situation for already vulnerable young children in the region. This article reviews the current discourse on what is being called a crisis of care for children, as well as literature on out-of-home/family care and its adverse impacts on child development. We also describe an emerging “AIDS orphan tourism”, and show how short-term attachments formed between children in group residential care and volunteers may worsen known impacts of institutional care. This article advocates against the exploitation of especially vulnerable young children in sub-Saharan Africa for commercial gain by tour operators in the current growth of “AIDS orphan tourism”. We instead propose that young people who wish to volunteer their time and talents to assist children less fortunate than themselves be properly informed about children's development and attachments to others, as well of the vulnerabilities and rights of young children, especially those outside of family care.     

Extended-Spectrum ��-Lactamase�CProducing Enterobacteriaceae in a Malian Orphanage

We show high rates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacteriaceae carriage among the staff and children at an orphanage in Bamako, Mali. Enterobacteriaceae colonized in 100% and 63%, respectively, of the 38 children and 30 adults studied. Use of antimicrobial drugs appeared excessive and inappropriate; decontamination and hygiene protocols were also questioned.     

Multisensory intervention improves physical growth and illness rates in Korean orphaned newborn infants

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory intervention on the physical growth and health of Korean orphaned infants. Fifty-eight full-term infants were randomly assigned to a control (n = 28) or an experimental (n = 30) group within 14 days postbirth. In addition to receiving the routine orphanage care, infants in the experimental group received 15 min of auditory (female voice), tactile (massage), and visual (eye-to-eye contact) stimulation twice a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Compared to the control group, the experimental group had gained significantly more weight and had larger increases in length and head circumference after the 4-week intervention period and at 6 months of age. In addition, the experimental group had significantly fewer illnesses and clinic visits. These data demonstrate that multisensory intervention in conjunction with human/social contact may be effective in facilitating growth for newborn infants placed in orphanages.     

Stress and coping mechanisms among adolescents living in orphanages: An experience from Klang Valley,Malaysia

Introduction

Health issues often differ from one population to another. Assessing different aspects of the health condition is a vital step toward developing and designing appropriate prevention and treatment programs to reduce health problems in any group or population. This study aimed to assess both the prevalence of stress and the coping mechanisms as well as identify the predictors of stress levels among adolescents in Malaysian orphanages.

Methods

Overall, 307 male and female adolescents (aged 13‐18 y old) living in 9 private orphanages located in Klang Valley, Malaysia, participated in this cross‐sectional study. Brief COPE scale and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 were used as the main instruments in the current study.

Results

The results of the current study showed female adolescents and participants with a higher level of education were more likely to experience stress. The results also showed significant differences between boys and girls in using of coping mechanisms in self‐distraction (t = ?2.39, P = .01), substance use (t = 2.12, P = .03), use of emotional support (t = ?2.70, P = .001), humor (t = 2.28, P = .02), and religion (t = ?2.19, P = .02). Denial, venting, religion, humor, planning, and active coping were identified as predictors of stress among participants.

Discussion

The results showed a high prevalence of stress and a negative coping pattern among participants. The finding of the current study also showed the urgency of taking immediate action to reduce stress and improve coping methods among Malaysian institutional adolescents.     

Attachment, cognitive, and motor development in adopted children: short-term outcomes after international adoption

OBJECTIVE: To examine infant attachment and developmental functioning shortly after international adoption. METHODS: At 14 months, infant-mother attachment and mental (MDI) and psychomotor (PDI) development were assessed in 70 internationally adopted children. Mean age at arrival was 5.5 months, mean stay in the adoptive family 8.7 months. RESULTS: Adopted children's MDI and PDI did not deviate from normative scores. Also, their secure-insecure attachment distribution was comparable with that of normative groups. However, more adoptees were disorganized attached (36 vs. 15% in normative groups). Temporary residence in a foster home in the country of origin before adoption was related to higher MDI and PDI, whereas disorganized attachment in the adoptive family was related to lower MDI and PDI scores. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of internationally adopted children form secure attachment relationships and function at normative developmental levels shortly after adoption. Residence in a foster family before adoption may partly prevent developmental delays.