Institutionalization
Definition: The placement of children in hospitals, institutions, or orphanages. Placement in institutions during early critical developmental periods and for lengthy periods is often associated with developmental delays due to environmental deprivation, poor staff-child ratios, or lack of early stimulation.
Alternate Spellings: Institutionalisation
Related Resources:International Child Health Issues
Covering health issues in international adoption, including a pediatrician's guide for parents, and information on attachment problems, parasites, hepatitis, and the effects of institutionalization. Physicians and clinics specializing in adoption medicine are listed as resources for medical report evaluations and child examinations.
Elsewhere on the Web:Effects of Institutionalization
For those considering adoption from Eastern Europe, a look at issues that may arise as a result of the child's confinement to an orphanage or other institution.
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