The Care of the Infant Being Placed for Adoption

Abstract

Adoption in the United States is a way for families to grow, and pediatricians will invariably take care of infants being placed for adoption. Reasons why an infant will be adopted are highly variable, as are the types of relationships that birth parents have with their infants. Care of the infant being placed for adoption in the nursery involves close attention to detail to ensure appropriate continuity of care and information as the infant transitions into their eventual medical home. Adoptive parents often seek additional information from their child's health care providers, and pediatricians should be equipped to provide guidance both prior to and after the adoption process. Office-based pediatricians should support adoptive parents with a longitudinal approach informed by best practices and principles of well-child care. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(2):e61-e63.].