BMJ 2001;322:1556-1557 ( 30 June )

Editorials

Adoption

The opportunity to give a child a second chance deserves health and social support

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

One of the earliest adoptions in the Western tradition was that of Moses, rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh, a rich and possibly single parent. He grew up in a transracial and transreligious placement, which ran into difficulties when he discovered the true family and religion of his birth. Over 3000 years later the public on two continents were transfixed by the story of twins bought on the internet.1 Adoption, a way of providing a child with a substitute family, generates strong feelings and has always been influenced by social change.

Adoption became legal in the United Kingdom in 1926 in response to the first world war and the 1918 influenza epidemic, and it became practicable with the development of safe artificial infant feeding. For the next 50 years adoption practice was primarily about finding babies for childless couples. The "perfect" baby was newborn, white, and developmentally normal. Since there were always more applicants . . . [Full text of this article]
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Relevant Article

Adoption
Vidya Rao and Rachel Moody
BMJ 2001 323: 867. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sturgess, W., Selwyn, J. (2007). Supporting the Placements of Children Adopted Out of Care. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 12: 13-28 [Abstract]  
  • Dey, I. (2005). Adapting Adoption: A Case of Closet Politics?. Int J Law Policy Family 19: 289-309 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Rao, V., Moody, R. (2001). Adoption. BMJ 323: 867-867 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Baby adoption
Rachel Moody
bmj.com, 2 Jul 2001 [Full text]
Use of voluntary adoption agencies
Vidya Rao
bmj.com, 5 Jul 2001 [Full text]
Confusing sentence
P Gallagher
bmj.com, 20 Jul 2001 [Full text]
Pros & Cons of Adoption
Janet Barrass
bmj.com, 15 Oct 2001 [Full text]
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