GI PROBLEMS

Besides the problems with malnutrition, mentioned above, children often develop functional GI disturbance or dyspepsia when their diet is switched to normal i.e. when they are adopted. They may start to throw out and diarrhea is a frequent finding. It is common for the pediatricians of American Clinic in Moscow to make house-calls to big Moscow hotels to visit sick kids, who were taken to the nearest fast food to “celebrate the adoption” and to “feed the poor kid” soon after return from the orphanage.

Two more interesting tips about GI system in adopted kids:

• most of them are toilet trained, so one should ask a caregiver about this part of routine in order to establish the same schedule at home
• some orphans eat a lot and hide foods during months after adoption. This typical orphanage behavior will change as soon as a child understands that he will never experience food deprivation and calms down.