While waiting to adopt a child, it is important to find a pediatrician or family doctor who will offer primary care when the child arrives. If you do not have a family doctor, now is the time to interview pediatricians to find a doctor that shares your philosophy and views regarding health care.
Many pediatric offices offer an “open house” to introduce future parents to the practice. Open houses can be helpful, but often these “open houses” focus mainly on pregnancy, hospital stays and newborn issues. Labor, delivery and lactation are topics that are discussed in depth. Adoptive parents face different issues such as attachment issues and possible health issues of children that have not been in their care from birth. Many people adopt internationally, and these parents may have sons and daughters with ailments that are not common to the country in which they are living. It may be better to arrange a one on one, face to face meeting with the doctor you are interviewing to have all of your specific questions answered.
If you are adopting internationally, you will want your newly found pediatrician to review the medical records of your future child. Or, you may decide to find an adoption specialist to review the records. Make sure your doctor can review these records in a timely manner. Often, there is only a small window of time to accept a referral. The amount of medical information you receive from a foreign country depends on the country in which you are adopting.
Choosing a pediatrician before traveling to the country of your child’s birth is very beneficial. Your doctor can prescribe medications to take with you in case your child is sick while you are out of the country. Find out if your doctor will be available or “on call” if you have any questions while you are traveling.
Once you get a referral or once your child comes home, life will become very hectic. Having a doctor ready and waiting to assist you will free up time to attend to other adoption matters.