Growth failure associated with early neglect: pilot comparison of neglected US children and international adoptees

Abstract

The long-lasting impact of different neglectful environments on growth in children is not well studied. Three groups of children, 3–10 years old, were recruited (n = 60): previously institutionalized international adoptees living in stable home environments for at least 2 years (IA; n = 15), children with a history of neglect born in the USA (USN; n = 17), and controls (n = 28). Children underwent physical examination, anthropometry, and collection of serum for growth parameters. Mean height standard deviation scores (SDS) were different (p < 0.05). Age-adjusted head circumference (HC) was significantly smaller (p < 0.05) in IAs. Insulin growth factor (IGF-1), a marker of growth hormone action, was higher in US neglected children. IGF-1 adjusted for age and weight SDS were different (p < 0.05) between control and US neglect groups. The degree of growth failure in height and HC in IAs was more severe than neglected US children. These findings may reflect differences between the impact of chronic and intermittent deprivation on the growth hormone system.

The Production and Reproduction of Kinship in Charitable Children’s Institutions in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

“…It has been recognized that "historically, institutional care has been associated with regimented, depersonalized environments in which children have no opportunity to experience a caring family life" (Powell et al 2004). As previously noted, institutions have had poor outcomes and were unresponsive to children's needs (Berens and Nelson 2015;Miller et al 2015;Morantz and Heymann 2010;Smyke et al 2007;van den Dries et al 2009;van Ijzendoorn et al 2008;Wanat et al 2010). This evidence pointed to the urgent need for deinstitutionalization and the implementation of a policy-driven process aimed at the transformation of child protection services to focus on family-level and community-level support by many governments, including Kenya (UNICEF and Republic of Kenya 2014).…”

“…It is widely recognized that institutionalization has adverse impacts on developmental outcomes and children's well-being (Berens and Nelson 2015;Miller et al 2015;Smyke et al 2007;van den Dries et al 2009;van Ijzendoorn et al 2008). According to Berens and Nelson (2015), there is strong evidence of devastating developmental consequences for children institutionalized in early childhood.…”

Plasticity of human growth – a systematic review on psychosocial factors influencing growth

“…Comparing the set of data to a control cohort, the authors revealed that growth is most severely impaired in the group of children with institutional history. Also, children with a history of institutional care showed the lowest IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels (Miller et al 2015). The authors suggested that the different time and severity of psychosocial stress in neglected and institutionalized children resulted in different regulations of growth.…”

“…This previously suggested effect of psychosocial stress factors on growth outcomes also was the central aspect of investigation in a study conducted by Miller et al (2015). The authors analyzed data from 60 children, which have shown a history of institutional care or emotional neglect in their familiar environment.…”

Psychomotor development differences between Czech adolescents from orphanages and adolescents from majority society

“…Orphanages are one of the care providing institutions and it is especially children from orphanages who are diagnosed with a variety of personality disorders with varying degrees of complexity (Matějček, 2005b;B. S. Miller et al, 2015;Nelson et al, 2007;Roeber et al, 2012).…”