I. Children in Institutional Care: Delayed Development and Resilience

Abstract

Children exposed to institutional care often suffer from “structural neglect” which may include minimum physical resources, unfavorable and unstable staffing patterns, and social-emotionally inadequate caregiver-child interactions. This chapter is devoted to the analysis of the ill effects of early institutional experiences on resident children’s development. Delays in the important areas of physical, hormonal, cognitive, and emotional development are discussed. The evidence for and against the existence of a distinctive set of co-occurring developmental problems in institutionalized children is weighed and found to not yet convincingly demonstrate a “post-institutional syndrome”. Finally, shared and non-shared features of the institutional environment and specific genetic, temperamental, and physical characteristics of the individual child are examined that might make a crucial difference in whether early institutional rearing leaves irreversible scars.

Serotonin transporter polymorphism moderates the effects of caregiver intrusiveness on ADHD symptoms among institutionalized preschoolers

“…Of those, almost 13 % were younger than age 5 [2]. Despite the best intentions of such institutions, conditions within these facilities are often marked by limited quality of care, as they are usually characterized by unfavorable caregiver-to-child ratios, limited physical conditions, regimented daily schedules, rotating caregiving shifts, and unresponsive caregiving practices [3].…”

Distinctive features of adolescent hardiness in families of different composition

“…Keywords: institutions, children, caregiving environment, stability, consistency introduction The research literature suggests that institutions for children left without parental care do not provide environments that adequately promote children's development Rutter et al, 2010; The St. Petersburg-USA Orphanage Research Team, 2008;van IJzendoorn et al, 2011;Zeanah et al, 2009). Structural deficiencies of institutional environments are characterized by large numbers of children per ward (from 9 to 16+), high child-caregiver ratios (6-8+), the practice of dividing children into groups (either by age or by disability status) and frequent transitions to new wards (Bakermans-Kranenburg et al, 2012).…”

Structural characteristics of the institutional environment for young children

“…The research literature suggests that institutions for children left without parental care do not provide environments that adequately promote children's development Rutter et al, 2010;The St. Petersburg-USA Orphanage Research Team, 2008;van IJzendoorn et al, 2011;Zeanah et al, 2009), and that characteristics of orphanages should be considered as an environmental factor influencing developmental difficulties in children living in institutions and later in post-institutional families. This study aimed to analyze the structural characteristics of the caregiving environment in two St. Petersburg (RF) orphanages for infants and young children (baby homes).…”

“…Those with a substantial history of institutional care (IC) (~1-2 years) display a variety of long-term neurological, physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional difficulties (Nelson et al, 2011;Rutter et al, 2010). These adverse developmental outcomes in institutionalized children might be produced by other confounding risk factors, such as genetic or prenatal conditions, birth complications, or negative pre-orphanage experiences (Bakermans-Kranenburg et al, 2012;van Ijzendoorn et al, 2011). The literature cited above suggests that characteristics of institutions should be considered as an environmental factor influencing developmental difficulties in children living in institutions and later in post-institutional families.…”

“…The results also show that the interventions implemented in BH A within the St. Petersburg-USA Orphanage Research Project were maintained for many years after the project was finished. The specific features of introduction The research literature suggests that institutions for children left without parental care do not provide environments that adequately promote children's development Rutter et al, 2010; The St. Petersburg-USA Orphanage Research Team, 2008;van IJzendoorn et al, 2011;Zeanah et al, 2009). Structural deficiencies of institutional environments are characterized by large numbers of children per ward (from 9 to 16+), high child-caregiver ratios (6-8+), the practice of dividing children into groups (either by age or by disability status) and frequent transitions to new wards (Bakermans-Kranenburg et al, 2012).…”