The Perinatal Risk Index: Early Risks Experienced by Domestic Adoptees in the United States

Abstract

We aimed to assess comprehensively the prevalence of perinatal risks experienced by a potentially high-risk yet understudied population of children domestically adopted in the United States. Data are from participant report and medical records from mothers (n = 580) who completed a domestic adoption placement with nonrelatives at or near birth (Mean placement age = 7 days). We describe a comprehensive measure of perinatal risks, including divergences from previous assessment tools and the incorporation of multiple reporters, and report the prevalence of various types of perinatal risks. The prevalence of each specific risk factor was generally low, although several risks were more prevalent in this sample than estimates from nationally representative publicly available data. Nearly the entire sample (99%) experienced some type of risk exposure. Birth mothers who placed their children for adoption domestically in the US experience higher levels of perinatal risks than the national average, but not for all specific types of risk. Thus, the developmental trajectories of children adopted domestically may systematically differ from the general population to the extent that these specific perinatal risks impact development.

Parental Depression, Overreactive Parenting, and Early Childhood Externalizing Problems: Moderation by Social Support

“…Additional details on the measures can be found in Marceau et al. () for self‐report and medical record data.…”

“…The perinatal risk variable included six maternal reported aggregate scores characterizing total obstetric complications, perinatal internalizing symptoms, pregnancy complications, exposure to toxins, substance use, and neonatal complications. Additional details on the measures can be found in Marceau et al (2016) for self-report and medical record data.…”

Child Effects on Parental Negativity: The Role of Heritable and Prenatal Factors

“…Perinatal risks have been linked with BM illicit drug use during pregnancy and negative reactivity in children (Gutteling et al, 2005). We therefore controlled for obstetric complications using an index derived from BM reports and coded medical records based on an adaptation of the McNeil-Sj€ ostr€ om Scale for Obstetric Complications (see Marceau et al, 2016;McNeil, 1995 for more details). Substance use during pregnancy was excluded from the obstetric complications score for these analyses.…”

Does maternal warmth moderate longitudinal associations between infant attention control and children's inhibitory control?

“…Consistent with McNeil-Sjöström scoring protocols (McNeil & Sjöström, 1995), a risk severity score was created by summing items scored 3 or greater. For detailed information, see Marceau, De Araujo-Greecher, Miller, and Massey (2016).…”