Rapid Responses to:

EDITORIALS: Mary Mather Adoption BMJ 2001; 322: 1556-1557 [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Baby adoption

Rachel Moody   (2 July 2001)

Use of voluntary adoption agencies

Vidya Rao   (5 July 2001)

Confusing sentence

P Gallagher   (20 July 2001)

Pros & Cons of Adoption

Janet Barrass   (15 October 2001)

Baby adoption 2 July 2001
Rachel Moody CARE for Life Send response to journal: Re: Baby adoption	Another aspect of adoption which medical practitioners may forget about concerns the patient with an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. There are only about 600 baby adoptions per year now, and, as Mary Mather pointed out, there are many thousands of couples longing to be able to adopt a baby. For a woman with an unplanned pregnancy, adoption is a very difficult option, but should be considered as a real alternative, particularly if she is ambivalent or morally uncomfortable with the idea of abortion. Abortion can seem like the only option that "puts things back to how they were", but this belief about abortion can turn out to be an illusion when the reality of grief and loss set in. Both abortion and adoption involve loss, but, particularly for a woman who is unhappy about abortion (but may feel it is her only choice), adoption can be a more "positive loss". (Quote from a client) Many people do not realise how much adoption has changed from the draconian images of babies being forcibly removed from unmarried mothers in the 1950s. "Many women say that they could never go through pregnancy and labour and then 'give up' their baby for adoption. This is often an instinctive feeling, because it means experiencing a loss. A mother never forgets her baby. But the process of adoption is not like it used to be ..... Children are not whisked away secretly anymore. Mothers are much more involved. You can say what sort of family you want. You can know as little or as much about the adoptive family as you wish. The adoptive parents can keep a 'lifebook' which tells the child all about you so that s/he grows up with a sense of where s/he comes from. You can keep in touch via the adoption agency or Social Services. You will have time to change your mind if necessary because formal consent to adoption cannot take place until at least 6 weeks after the baby is born." (Quotes from www.pregnancy.org.uk, a website devoted to helping women think through their options in an unplanned pregnancy) Women in this situation need to be helped to consider all the options open to them; parenting and adoption as well as abortion. GPs could help these women by allowing them space and time to consider the options and their feelings, and to find out what adoption actually involves. The Pregnancy Crisis and Post-Abortion CAREline (0800 028 2228) is available to help women think through their options, and to point them to 1:1 help via local agencies including CARE for Life pregnancy crisis centres which offer free crisis pregnancy counselling, adoption support, and post-abortion counselling.
Use of voluntary adoption agencies 5 July 2001
Vidya Rao, consultant paediatrician Walsall Community Health Trust Send response to journal: Re: Use of voluntary adoption agencies	The Government's recent white paper on adoption is quite ambitious and addresses some of the problems highlighted in Mary Mather's excellent editorial(1). There are voluntary agencies in the UK which specialise in adoption work. In 1999 an inspection of voluntary adoption agencies (2) showed that few Local Authorities had any strategic planning links with them, and rarely used the specialist skills of the social workers. Establishing early links and working in partnership with the voluntary agencies can help find adopters for "hard to place" children. Their expertise in recruiting and supporting adopters should be exploited. The report found that local authorities often made ad hoc decisions about purchasing or providing services from these agencies and few monitored the cost and quality of adoption services in their areas. Adoption gives a child a second chance at acquiring a funtional family and is proven to provide satisfaction to both parents and children alike in the majority of cases . Although some politicians argue that adoption work should be wholly given over to voluntary organisations , a recent report from the Performance and Innovation Unit(3) highlighted that it would not only be very expensive to re-organise the system, but also important links with other children's services would be lost. References 1. Mather M. Adoption. BMJ 2001; 322:1556-57. 2. Meeting the challenges of changes in adoption: inspection of voluntary adoption agencies (1999). London, Department of Health. 3. Adoption: Prime Minister's Review. A Performance and Innovation Unit Report (2000). London, Cabinet Office.
Confusing sentence 20 July 2001
P Gallagher, Barrister Send response to journal: Re: Confusing sentence	This interesting editorial contains a potentially confusing sentence on page 1557. It may just be the way the sentence is constructed but it could cause others to misunderstand. The reference to children adopted from care refers to 27000 in 1968-surely that was the total number of adoption for that year? Adoption from care has never been that high and as far as I know the relevant statistic was not collected in 1968. Incidentally of the 27000 a significant number (approximately one third) would have been step-parent adoptions.
Pros & Cons of Adoption 15 October 2001
Janet Barrass, Secretary Send response to journal: Re: Pros & Cons of Adoption	I read the responses and article regarding Adoption and have one or two comments to make. I was adopted when I was only 3 months old, and at the age of 37 found my birth mother through the agency who conducted the adoption. Although I am very happy to be in contact with my birth mother, I am also very very happy that I was put up for adoption, because I WAS given a better life with better prospects. My Adoptive parents (though now dead) were unable to have children and I was the second adopted child to the family. My second comment would be that, and I am sure I am not alone on this, is that any adoptive parents should be given as much history of medical conditions as possible ie. multiple births, cancers, heart defects, diabetes etc. My family medical history didn't seem to be a problem until I became pregnant with my first child. For both my first and second child I was down as ? possible multiple births as there was no history. I also had a bowel cancer scare and once again was asked was there any history in my family. Lukily by this time I knew my birth mother and she was able to make enquiries because my birth father had died of cancer. In this age of finding that a lot of medical problems are genetically linked it is essential that as much information is given to the adoptive family as possible regarding any family medical problems which may effect that child whilst they are growing and when they mature into adulthood.