The Effects of Adoption on the Child

According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, adopted children often lead lives that are no different to those who are raised by their birth parents. They do, however, have experiences that are unique to those adopted and that may affect them at some time in their lives.

Rejection and Abandonment

Feelings of rejection and abandonment are common in an adopted child. An adopted child may question why the birth parents placed him for adoption and what was wrong with him--why they would give him up to another family.

Self-Discovery

As the adopted child grows, he may go through identity issues due to feeling different than others. He may wonder were he "fits in," especially if he comes from another culture and looks different from other members of his family.

Grief

Once the adopted child is old enough to comprehend his adoption, he may grieve the loss of his birth parents, even if he was adopted as a newborn says the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Medical History

Adopted children often do not have genetic and medical family history information about their birth parents, which is important because of the role genes play in many diseases. Having no family history information can complicate medical treatment.

Counseling

Some children may need to seek counseling for their sometimes complex feelings. A family member, friend, professional counseling or adoption-support group may be able to help.

References

• Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Kids Health