PEDIATRICS Vol. 83 No. 4 April 1989, pp. 559-564
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hostetter, M. K.
Right arrow Articles by Johnson, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hostetter, M. K.
Right arrow Articles by Johnson, D.

Unsuspected Infectious Diseases and Other Medical Diagnoses in the Evaluation of Internationally Adopted Children

Margaret K. Hostetter MD1, Sandra Iverson RN1, Kathryn Dole OTR1, and Dana Johnson MD, PhD1

1 The Departments of Pediatrics and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Seven simple screening tests—hepatitis B profile, urine culture for cytomegalovirus, Mantoux test for tuberculosis, stool examination for ova and parasites, VDRL, complete blood cell count, and vision and hearing screening—were used to evaluate 52 consecutive children at a pediatric clinic for international adoptees. In 63% of these children, unsuspected medical diagnoses were made by a combination of history, physical examination, and appropriate screening tests. When only those children previously examined by a physician in the United States were included in our analysis, the rate of unsuspected diagnosis remained high (67%). Omission of screening tests was the single most frequent cause of missed diagnoses, of which the majority were infectious diseases. More than 50% of our newly established diagnoses carried the potential for long-term sequelae without proper treatment. These data emphasize that internationally adopted children should receive a thorough screening evaluation for medical problems that may adversely affect their growth and development.

Key Words: international adoptees • hepatitis B • cytomegalovirus • tuberculosis • screening test

Submitted on April 4, 1988
Accepted on May 10, 1988




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 PediatricsHome page
I. Trehan, J. K. Meinzen-Derr, L. Jamison, and M. A. Staat
Tuberculosis Screening in Internationally Adopted Children: The Need for Initial and Repeat Testing
Pediatrics, July 1, 2008; 122(1): e7 - e14.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
L. C. Miller and N. W. Hendrie
Health of Children Adopted From China
Pediatrics, June 1, 2000; 105(6): 76e - 76.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 NEJMHome page
L. C. Miller
Caring for Internationally Adopted Children
N. Engl. J. Med., November 11, 1999; 341(20): 1539 - 1540.
[Full Text]

Home page
 Topics in Early Childhood Special EducationHome page
S. Lesar Judge
Eastern European Adoptions: Current Status and Implications for Intervention
Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, January 1, 1999; 19(4): 244 - 252.
[Abstract] [PDF]