Recommendations for the medical evaluation of children prior to adoption in South Africa

• Published in: South African medical journal Vol. 104; no. 8; pp. 544 - 549
• Main Authors: Haeri Mazanderani, Ahmad F, du Plessis, Nicolette M, Lumb, Janet, Feucht, Ute D, Myburgh, Marcelle, Mayaphi, Simnikiwe H, Lekalakala, Molebogeng R, Swanepoel, De Wet, Georgakis, Hellen, Avenant, Theunis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: South Africa Health & Medical Publishing Group 01.08.2014
• Subjects: Adoption; Child; Feasibility Studies; Guidelines as Topic; Health aspects; Humans; Medical examination; Medical History Taking; Medical screening; Methods; Orphans; Physical Examination - standards; Social aspects; South America; South America; South Africa
• ISSN: 0256-9574
• DOI: 10.7196/SAMJ.7958

The current legislative framework in South Africa (SA) supports adoption as the preferred form of care for children with inadequate or no parental or family support. There are an estimated 3.8 million orphans in SA, with approximately 1.5 - 2 million children considered adoptable. As a means of improving services, newly drafted adoption guidelines from the National Department of Social Development will in future require both non-profit and private sector adoption agencies to obtain a medical report on a child prior to placement. However, no local guidelines specify what an appropriate medical examination entails or how it should be reported. For the purposes of proposing and developing such guidelines, an open forum was convened at the Institute of Pathology, University of Pretoria, in March 2013. These 'Recommendations for the medical evaluation of children prior to adoption in South Africa' emanate from this meeting.