This was my son.

Dr. Bruce Perry, a Child psychiatrist featured on the Oprah show states that neglect is the absence of necessary stimulation in order to build a certain part of the brain. In order for children to learn, to stimulate areas of their brain they NEED stimulation. Without stimulation they will learn to stimulate them themselves or retract into themselves. Your brain will form differently.

Dr. Federici calls this Institutional Autism in Institutionalized children. But, what about biological children?

Dr. Perry calls this total global neglect.

But, can you make a child autistic by neglecting them so thoroughly because they never, ever come into contact with humans? That they are so globally neglected that they retreat so thoroughly into themselves that they can’t get out.

Can neglect cause mental retardation?

Absolutely.

Danielle, one of Florida’s most shocking cases of neglect was not only malnourished but also so severely neglected that when she was admitted to the hospital for a physical her appearance wasn’t what shocked Dr. Rodriguez most. The most profound effect of her neglect was how she reacted to human beings. “She wouldn’t make eye contact. She frequently pushed us away, kicked us away,” Dr. Rodriguez says. “[She] would snarl at us, frankly. She behaved like an injured animal. We realized the safest place would be one of the caged cribs.”

If there is little or no stimulation, if there is no human contact, if there is nothing there what else is there? Little development. Danielle, at the age of 9 years old, was determined to be 2 months old developmentally. AJ, at his adoption (26 months), was determined to be between 12 and 18 months, depending upon the skill.

Parents are powerful. If you look at this picture (and I am linking to this picture because it is SO extremely important to see) you will see the difference between a normal three year old child and an institutionalized/neglected three year old child. Perry indicates in his interview that the neglect specifically affects sleep, anxiety, and mood regulation, all of which AJ has problems.

So, in our case, is it an issue more with neglect and institutionalism than with medical issues? I am hoping so because I know that children have an opportunity to rebuild some of those synopsis (some) with care.

Yes, back to that nature vs. nurture. Which one wins?

Post from: Blisstree

Oprah, on Neglect

Caregivers are often overworked and underpaid. In fact, often times caregivers don’t even like their jobs and do not handle the children well. However, in countries like Guatemala it seems as if the foster mothers take great care in raising the children but one may never know what happens in the homes.

Abuse may be as simple as neglecting to change diapers or not feeding children often enough. Or, it may be as harsh as hitting them with brooms to keep them quiet.

Do you believe your child was abused?

Post from: Blisstree

Question: Abuse

People usually become infected either hand to mouth from unwashed hands or by drinking contaminated food or water. Children that live in orphanages are more prone to getting parasites like this because of the close living situations, the diapers, the care giver situations, etc. Most often the children live in close quarters with poor hygiene and there is little infection control.

Symptoms of Giardia:

• Constant watery diarrhea with abdominal pain
• Foul smelling stools with gas and bloating
• Abdominal distention
• Not wanting to eat
• Nausea
• Failure to Thrive

How to Treat:

Three stool tests are needed to diagnose Giardia because of the way it sheds in the system.

The most common treatment is Metronidazole (Flagyl) but there are some strands of Giardia that are resistant. Furozone (furazolidone) and Tindamax (which can be prescribed by the CDC?) can also be used.

Post from: Blisstree

Parasites, an Adoption Series: Giardia

Some,

It makes me think that AJ was one of the lucky ones to be placed in the orphanage. When you watch you will see that so many of the children are actually abandoned on the streets by their biological parents and know their parents don’t want them. What that does to their emotional state I can’t imagine. like Slava, run away because of the home-life; alcoholism, violence, neglect.Some are left without papers, which I can only assume means they can’t travel anywhere or ask for help from an orphanage (without proof of identity how can you prove who you are?). One child stated that at age five his parents left him on the street with this papers and he was able to make his way to an orphanage. Lucky kid.Most of these children endure harsh temperatures in the winter, little food, and most turn to prostitution and drugs early to make money.

In the 1990’s Russia noticed a vast increase in these street children and has done a tremendous amount to reduce the number of children on the streets. However, in 2007 there were 10,000 children living in Moscow. he official number right now is about 700,000 but most feel the real figure is between 2 and 4 million.It really makes me feel that AJ was lucky to be placed in an orphanage. I still don’t feel like we “saved” him from a street life. Most importantly, Russian Social Services did that when they intervened on the day of his birth.And you know what? I am beginning to think that that is there was someone very important looking after him that day.

Post from: Blisstree

Russian Street Children

As of yet, no children have been dropped off but I am wondering what will happen when they do…

is Nebraska’s foster care system ready for emotional and physical special needs children?

Did they recruit more foster parents with those skills and certifications?

Do they have interim care for infants?

This past weekend the country celebrated National Adoption Day. Nebraska lawmakers are in session to amend the “safe haven” law because they have had over 30 children abandoned by parents since it’s inception in July. Lawmakers now want an age restriction put on the law, an attempt to limit the numbers of older children abandoned.

According to a recent article in USA Today (Emily Bazar and Wendy Koch), 31 children have been abandoned, 17 of them teens. However, the law was initially meant to protect infants and has since had unintended consequences.

It seems pretty obvious that Nebraska has unintentionally highlighted a severe problem with our troubled families. Records show that those children who were abandoned came from homes that had mental health care, jail time, and were often from single family homes.

Certainly, being from a single family home does not equal a troubled child, nor does it mean that the parent is overwhelmed to the point that they can no longer care for their child. However, mix the single parent with a significant other or spouse in jail, depression, and a difficult economic situation and one may also have a trouble child.

So, what is a state like Nebraska to do? Do they lower the age limit?

Do they offer more foster care for these children?

Do they offer MORE services to these parents?

Do they provide institutional care like Mooseheart wherein children are given care and still have families.

Read More

The Abandoned Children of Nebraska -Time Magazine

Nebraska: 5-Year-Old Dropped Off – New York Times

Safe Haven or Last Resort – CBS News

Post from: Blisstree

Nebraska to Revise Safe Haven

What does AJ have issues with? At first he would not eat anything with an acidic nature; apples, pears, peaches, etc. He craved milk and graham crackers because they coated his stomach. We then tested and treated him for H Pylori, a bacterial infection that increases acid in the stomach and could eventually have caused ulcers. After that we found that he was lactose and gluten intolerant (due to the H Pylori).

We eventually did additional allergy testing and found that he was allergic to oats and bananas (bananas can be quite serious because they are cross reactive with all pit fruits and with latex). Over the last two years we have found that although some foods do not show up on his allergy tests he is cross-reactive to them because of the bananas. He is also allergic to kiwi, chestnut, avocado, peppers, mangoes, SHELLFISH, and we think peaches. All of those foods cause him stomach problems. Chestnuts and peppers caused a rash.He also has trouble with foods called salicylates. We found this out because we did an elimination diet to determine his food intolerance and allergies (because he was having so many digestive problems). Foods high in salicylates: Food Guide

The great thing lately is that we have been able to add some things back into his diet and he loves the variety. We have added back some corn in the form of chips (crunchies), some more veggies (cucumber, cooked sweet potato, and he loved onion but had trouble with it), whole milk, and cheese.

Yes, I said WHOLE MILK and CHEESE.

AJ is on a casein free diet because of his lactose issues but we have recently found that he can have Kefir, a form of yogurt that he used to have in Russia. I have been trying to get him to eat it since he got home but he has refused…until they started making ProBugs for kids. It has all the benefits of whole milk but no lactose! Head to the LifeWay home site to learn more about it and play some games!

If your store does not carry it just ask. I did and they now get it for us!

And, I found out that hard cheddar has no lactose either! And, he loves it on his pizza.

Post from: Blisstree

Foodie Update

We know that AJ was in one of these deprived environments for two years.

However, after adoption, he says, “these children go from the most deprived environments to some of the most enriched ones. In one day, these children become part of well-educated, affluent, stable and loving families.” They now live in what Pollak calls an “optimal environment” for children.

Yet, as the children adjust to their new surroundings, they continue to experience a number of physical and behavioral problems, such as ear and gastrointestinal infections, malnutrition and delayed growth. These problems, says Pollak, generally vanish within a year of the children’s arrival in the United States.

For some children, physical and behavioral problems persist. These include difficulties learning and forming social bonds, says Pollak. As a result, he adds, the children are often diagnosed with intellectual delays, attachment disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The behaviors that relate to attention are actually linked to the pre-frontal cortex and controlled by the cerebellum, as are motor skills. These are the last parts of the brain to develop and can continue to develop for years after birth.

The NY Times recently had an article on this (with fabulous graphics) and it gives me great hope for AJ’s brain development.

Post from: Blisstree

The Growing Brain

Grab Marcie’s feeds now!
A Child Chosen: or Google Reader
One Book, Two Book or Google Reader
Chicago Examiner- email subscribe under my picture or Chicago Examiner
Chicago Moms Blog

Post from: Blisstree

Guatemalan Adoption; Pictures from Behind the Scenes

I love the post because it actually analyzes the demographics…it doesn’t just tell the story of little girls choosing a doll.

Post from: Blisstree

Racists in Adoption

Many children from Eastern European orphanages have issues with constipation, encopresis, and holding their bowels. In fact, our son has problems with all three because of medical reasons, learned behaviors, and a drastic change in diet.

According to the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, constipation is defined as:
*
a decrease in frequency of bowel movements, compared to a child’s usual pattern (Some physicians define constipation as fewer than three bowel movements per week.)

*
the passage of hard, dry bowel movements

*
bowel movements that are difficult or painful to push out

The causes are many: diet, lack of exercise, emotional issues, busy lives, and even physical problems.

For AJ (and many institutionalized children) the causes are compounded because they most likely suffer from all of them. AJ had a poor diet (mainly bananas, oatmeal, cookies, and stews), he had little, if any, exercise, he was under high stress in the orphanage, and he was on a timed potty schedule.

In the orphanage the timed potty schedule is maintained by one of the caregivers in the room. She would instruct the children that every 2 hours they were to leave their play area, go to the potty area, site on their designated pot and go to the bathroom. They would sit until they went. If they did not go they would hold it until the next two hour interval. If they had an accident they would, most likely, sit in the mess until someone could clean them.

What happens in this situation is that many of the children learn to hold their stools so they become hard and dry. They become painful to push out and the children avoid going to avoid the discomfort. Eventually, the intestine stretches and does not feel the stool. In order to “heal” the intestine medications like MiraLAX Laxative Powder for Solution – 30 Daily Doses or Phillips’ Concentrated Milk of Magnesia, a stool softener that are used for a period of months or years (as directed by a doctor).

For tips while traveling with infants, toddlers, and older children visit adoptmed.org. Our full proof method while traveling was straight Russian Apple Juice. It has a punch!

Post from: Blisstree

Constipation in Eastern European Adoptees