The choice to adopt internationally is the beginning of a new phase in your life. For many families, adopting internationally is the most exciting and significant event in their life resulting in the contentment of having a kid and completing their goal of a family. While this process can guide you to success it is not so simple and has quite a few risks associated with it. One of the risks of international adoption is to comprehend why children become available for adoption. The number one reason for availability is low income. With poor income comes health risk. I do not mean to say that all children are frail, but to realize that a primary issue to plan for in your international adoption is how to figure out health issues. While educating yourself is the first step in health assessment, selecting an internationally experienced physician for check up is the most important step.

Because health risk is the major issue for any international adoption, the ability to find out the medical info about the child and having this information accurately interpreted is essential. Considering a representative Russian adoption as our example for discussion, a family would either be sent medical excerpt before traveling or would be allowed to review the referral child's medical records during the first trip to be introduced to the child. The medicals are written in Russian and need translation. Translations like these can be difficult and have the probability to contain errors that an inexpert person may not recognize. Additionally, the Russian medical system is not the same as the United States system. One example is in making a diagnosis. Anyone accustomed with Russian medicals know that the Russian physicians are often more harsh and critical medically and they tend to make diagnosis without substantiation. On the contrary, a US physician will usually only make a diagnosis when there is substantiating evidence to support the verdict.

Early in our adoption experience at Adoption Options, Inc. we would bring older children to the US via our Cherry Orchard program as a host program. These children were from five years of age to 12 years of age. They would stay with host families and be afforded the opportunity to meet likely adoptive parents. As part of this program we would arrange for the children to be evaluated by physicians. During one particular program, we set up with the director of pediatrics of a university teaching hospital to assess the children using his residents. The director had extensive international experience. The assessments consisted of reviewing the medical reports given by the Russian authorities and doing a cursory physical check of each of the children. Later we were invited to attend a teaching symposium with the evaluating residents where each junior doctor offered their findings. The striking conclusion was that after each presentation he informed each of the residents as to the mistakes of their conclusions based upon his international experience. The point to learn was that families do not need just any evaluation but one performed by a physician that had international experience.

Fortunately for families who wish to adopt children there are a number of physicians and clinics spread throughout the US that are qualified and offer helpful evaluations. You can track down such services by asking your local adoption agency, your placement agency, your local country specific support group, or by an internet search. The services offered vary greatly, so talking with families that have already used these services can be very helpful. Depending upon the country that you are doing your international adoption through you may be able to arrange for an independent adoption doctor to evaluate on site during your first trip.

Screening for health issues is totally vital with international adoptions. There are costs associated with the evaluations but this is not something anyone should ever try to shortcut. Adopting children internationally is a practical way to complete your family but it does require being prepared.