Postinstitutionalized Children’s Development: Growth, Cognitive, and Language Outcomes
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Children adopted internationally from institutions are a growing population presenting to professional care providers. Although postinstitutionalized (PI) children are adopted from multiple world regions, current knowledge is predominantly based on those adopted from Romania and Eastern European countries. This study examines and compares developmental outcomes of PI children adopted from multiple world regions. METHOD: Five to 11 years after adoption, 8- through 11-year-old PI children (N = 91), children internationally adopted early from foster care (N = 109), and nonadopted children (N = 69) completed screening measures assessing vision, hearing, growth, and cognitive and language abilities. Parents completed questionnaires on service utilization, school performance, preadoptive history, and postadoption environment. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of PI children's growth was stunted (height <10th percentile) at adoption. At assessment, although physically smaller, nearly all PI children had average growth parameters. Relative to nonadopted children and children adopted early from foster care, PI children performed more poorly on cognitive and language screens with increased time in institution related to lower performance. Notably, group means on these measures were within the average range. PI children were more likely to be falling behind academically and to use intervention services. Family environment did not differ between PI and nonadopted children. There were few differences for PI children by world region of adoption once accounting for duration of institutionalization. CONCLUSIONS: Despite currently living in similar environments, PI children have specific needs that differ from early-adopted and nonadopted children. Consideration of multiple factors, including length of institutionalization, is essential when providing care for these children.
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Post-institutionalized children have lower IQ scores than children reared in biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings.
“However, studies consistently find that PI children have significantly greater attention problems, lower IQ scores, greater likelihood of receiving learning support services, and lower reading and math achievement scores than children reared in their biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings (Fox, Almas, Degnan, Nelson, & Zeanah, 2011; Loman et al., 2009;”
From Inhibitory control and working memory in post-institutionalized children (2013) · cites this paper as Loman et al., 2009
Post-institutionalized children have greater attention problems than children reared in biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings.
“However, studies consistently find that PI children have significantly greater attention problems, lower IQ scores, greater likelihood of receiving learning support services, and lower reading and math achievement scores than children reared in their biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings (Fox, Almas, Degnan, Nelson, & Zeanah, 2011; Loman et al., 2009;”
From Inhibitory control and working memory in post-institutionalized children (2013) · cites this paper as Loman et al., 2009
Post-institutionalized children have lower reading and math achievement scores than children reared in biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings.
“However, studies consistently find that PI children have significantly greater attention problems, lower IQ scores, greater likelihood of receiving learning support services, and lower reading and math achievement scores than children reared in their biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings (Fox, Almas, Degnan, Nelson, & Zeanah, 2011; Loman et al., 2009;”
From Inhibitory control and working memory in post-institutionalized children (2013) · cites this paper as Loman et al., 2009
Post-institutionalized children are more likely to receive learning support services than children reared in biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings.
“However, studies consistently find that PI children have significantly greater attention problems, lower IQ scores, greater likelihood of receiving learning support services, and lower reading and math achievement scores than children reared in their biological homes and children adopted at young ages from non-institutional settings (Fox, Almas, Degnan, Nelson, & Zeanah, 2011; Loman et al., 2009;”
From Inhibitory control and working memory in post-institutionalized children (2013) · cites this paper as Loman et al., 2009
Language delays are commonly observed in previously institutionalized children.
“Language delays are commonly observed (Loman, Wiik, Frenn, Pollak, & Gunnar, 2009).”
From Risk and developmental heterogeneity in previously institutionalized children (2012) · cites this paper as Loman, Wiik, Frenn, Pollak, & Gunnar, 2009
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- Authors
- Loman, M. M., Wiik, K. L., Frenn, K. A., Pollak, S. D., & Gunnar, M. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Minnesota (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Corresponding author
- Loman, Michelle M.
- Wiik, Kristen L.
- Frenn, Kristin A.
- Gunnar, Megan R.
- Venue
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 426-434
- ISSN
- 0196-206X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2890219
- OpenAlex
- W2169287938
- Cited by
- 144
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 24.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH068857, R01MH068858, R01MH061285)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Keywords
- international adoption, institutionalized children, growth arrest, cognitive development, language development, academic performance, service utilization, family environment, child development outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Adoption, Child, Child Development, Cognition, Environment, Female, Foster Home Care, Humans, Institutionalization, Language, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Surveys and Questionnaires, Schools, Time Factors, Orphanages
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