Health and Disease

We recommend that you always have the child you are adopting seen by a health professional for a comprehensive physical and screening prior to placement and adoption.

Viral hepatitis are infections caused by viruses that directly attack the liver. The most common forms of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D.  The Hepatitis B Foundation is an excellent website to learn all about hepatitis.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the main agency in the United States government that is responsible for protecting the health and safety of all U.S. citizens and for providing essential human services.   This is an excellent website to check out a wide variety of heath and disease issues.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health sponsors Medline Plus where you will find baby/child care and health related information from many sources including the Mayo Clinic, The American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Library of Medicine. On this site you can also find lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia, a medical dictionary, information on drugs, both prescription and nonprescription, and extensive information on diseases and health-related conditions.

International adoption medical clinics are good resources for international medical and health information.  International adoption medical clinics provide advice on pre-adoption evaluations, immunizations and post adoption medical examinations. 

Below are several programs that will review referral materials and offer an adopting family a medical opinion on the health of the child you are planning to adopt.

International Adoption Medicine

International Adoption Clinic

International Pediatric Health Services, PLLC

International Adoption Clinic at Children’s Hospital

International Adoption Clinic at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital

International Adoption Health Team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

International Adoption Clinic of Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Children's Center

University of Minnesota International Adoption Medical Information Clinic

In every situation make sure to check the child referral information with you local health care provider.   If you take custody of a child in a state other than the one in which you reside, check with your child adoption agency or the local hospitals for a referral to a pediatrician or other health care provider.

For additional information regarding child health and development issues, please visit PregnancyandChildren.com and for additional help regarding child adoption, please visit AdoptionServices.org.