Developmental catch-up, and deficit, following adoption after severe global early privation. English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) Study Team
Researchers assessed physical growth and cognitive development at age four in 111 children adopted into the UK from Romania before age two and 52 children adopted within the UK before six months. Children arriving from Romania before six months showed nearly complete catch-up by age four. Those arriving later also improved, but on average had lower cognitive scores. Age at entry to the UK was associated with subsequent cognitive functioning.
Limitations: Measures concern early childhood; age at entry is associated with several pre-adoption experiences and does not establish a universal age threshold for adoption. This cohort experienced extreme early institutional deprivation and does not represent adoptees generally. Participants overlap with other ERA publications.
- Research type
- Longitudinal comparative cohort study
- Source reviewed
- Abstract
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Age group
- Children
Study context and review
Age group as recorded: Children
Adoption context: Intercountry adoption from Romanian institutions; UK domestic-adoption comparison
Programme: English and Romanian Adoptees Study
Institutional context: No relationship identified in the material checked
No adoption-sector organisational relationship identified in the bibliographic material screened. This is not confirmation of institutional independence; affiliations, funding and conflicts were not comprehensively audited.
Bibliographic screening. Bibliographic relationships are not a bias or safety rating.
Topics: age at adoption, cognitive development, institutional care, institutional deprivation, intercountry adoption, longitudinal, physical health, UK research
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_361865c4d3565327