Is sub-nutrition necessary for a poor outcome following early institutional deprivation?
Researchers analysed deprivation duration, undernutrition, head circumference, IQ and mental-health difficulties in 138 Romanian adoptees, with comparison groups. Several adverse outcomes were associated with deprivation duration independently of undernutrition. Smaller head circumference explained only some associations in particular subgroups.
Limitations: Undernutrition was classified from weight at UK entry; head circumference is an indirect brain-size measure. Observational subgroup analyses do not establish mechanisms. Extreme early institutional deprivation; results do not represent adoptees generally. Participants overlap with other ERA publications.
- Research type
- Longitudinal cohort analysis
- Source reviewed
- Abstract
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Age group
- Children / Adolescents
Study context and review
Age group as recorded: Children; adolescents
Adoption context: Intercountry adoption after Romanian institutional care; UK comparison groups
Programme: English and Romanian Adoptees Study
Institutional context: No relationship identified in the material checked
No adoption-sector organisational relationship identified in indexed metadata reviewed. Affiliations, funding and conflicts have not been comprehensively audited; this does not confirm institutional independence.
Bibliographic screening. Bibliographic relationships are not a bias or safety rating.
Topics: cognitive development, mental health, nutrition, physical health
Review scope: Source checked: Abstract. This does not imply full-text or independent human verification.
Country as recorded: United Kingdom; Romania (origin)
- Funding
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Commissioner
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Funder role
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Declared conflicts
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Recruitment
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Adoptee involvement
- Not yet checked for this entry
Entry: study_30026e24883dd22b