Normality and impairment following profound early institutional deprivation: A longitudinal follow-up into early adolescence.

Abstract

Longitudinal analyses on normal versus impaired functioning across 7 domains were conducted in children who had experienced profound institutional deprivation up to the age of 42 months and were adopted from Romania into U.K. families. Comparisons were made with noninstitutionalized children adopted from Romania and with nondeprived within-U.K. adoptees placed before the age of 6 months. Specifically, the validity of the assessment, the degree of continuity and change in levels of functioning from 6 to 11 years, and the factors in the pre- and postadoption environment accounting for heterogeneity in outcome were examined. Pervasive impairment was significantly raised in children experiencing institutional deprivation for > or =6 months of life, with a minority within this group showing no impairment. There was no additional significant effect of duration of deprivation beyond the 6-month cutoff, and few other predictors explained outcome. The pattern of normality/impairment was mainly established by 6 years of age, with considerable continuity at the individual level between 6 and 11 years. The findings are discussed in terms of the possibility of a sensitive period for development.

Early Childhood Adversities and Trajectories of Psychiatric Problems in Adoptees: Evidence for Long Lasting Effects

“…On the other hand, the results of the present study are not compatible with some other studies on childhood adversities. In late childhood, emotional and behavioral disturbances were not clearly associated with early deprivation, in a group of early institutionalized Romanian adoptees (Colvert et al 2008;Kreppner et al 2007;Rutter et al 2001). Possibly, the children in this study were too young to measure particular sequelae.…”

“…Surprisingly, there was an increase in emotional and behavioral disturbances in the adopted group. However, there was no clear association between early deprivation and emotional or behavioral problems (Colvert et al 2008;Kreppner et al 2007;Rutter et al 2001). Furthermore, in a cross-sectional study of a non-adopted sample, Kessler et al (1997) found that the risk of psychiatric disorder onset was highest during the first few years after the occurrence of a childhood adversity.…”

How Experience Gets Under the Skin to Create Gradients in Developmental Health

“…An extreme example of this is the plight of Romanian orphans (36). After neglect during the first six months since birth in state-run orphanages, these children have tended to become high cortisol reactors and to suffer profound social-emotional, as well as cognitive, developmental disturbances that persist at least into early adolescence (58). Romanian children orphaned later in life, or for briefer periods, tend to show less profound, and more easily reversible, developmental disturbances.…”

Issues in the Timing of Integrated Early Interventions: Contributions from Nutrition, Neuroscience, and Psychological Research

“…[129][130][131][132] Meta-analytic findings and results from individual studies show at least partial benefits in cognitive and academic performance for institutionalized children adopted into high quality homes in the early years of life. 127,133 Attending high quality elementary schools, can promote academic achievement for children who did not attend preschool programs. 158 Validated programs to reduce learned helplessness or increase self-efficacy beliefs in children with poor academic achievement.…”