Your adoption journey might have been long and stressful, but now you’re ready to bring home your newly adopted child! This is a beautiful way to grow a family, whether you are adopting an infant or an older cild. If you are completing an international adoption, there are regulations in place to make sure that your new family member does not bring unfamiliar diseases into your home, but domestic adoptions have few health-related requirements. You can make your own preparations to make sure everyone will stay healthy.
Medical exams
Every member of your family has had a medical exam and has been certified healthy, as part of your Home Study. Your new family member should also have a medical exam. Children from other countries are more likely to bring diseases like hepatitis and salmonella with them, but this is simply because they have lived in crowded or unsanitary conditions which make them vulnerable to those diseases. American children who have lived in difficult circumstances may also have infectious diseases. This is no fault in the child, but it is important to know so you can make sure your child has essential treatments.
It is possible for babies to be born with medical conditions needing treatment, but these will normally be caught in the hospital before you bring the baby home. Some congenital diseases, such as strep and syphilis, can be passed from mother to baby and can therefore be present in a newborn. Again, if the baby is born in a hospital, this type of illness will usually be caught before the baby goes home, or in the earliest visits with a pediatrician.
Vaccinations
Check your new child’s vaccination records and make sure that they are current with their vaccinations. The U.S. is seeing increasing cases of measles, pertussis, and other diseases that can be prevented by immunization. It is possible that your private adoption may involve a child who has not had all those shots. Find out.
Do the same for family members already living in your home. It’s easy to fall behind on routine vaccinations for children and adults. Many Americans did so during the pandemic, and many have not yet caught up. In fact, fewer than half of American adults are fully vaccinated. Childhood vaccines keep you safe from many common childhood diseases, but plenty of adults don’t think about getting the Zoster vaccine to prevent shingles from exposure to chicken pox, or RSV and pneumonia vaccinations. Ask your family doctor whether you and other adults in your family need any vaccinations — it will depend on your age, any pre-existing conditions, and other such factors. This is an easy step to take to help everyone in the family stay healthy.
Cleanliness
It’s next to godliness, so they say, but it’s easy to skip disinfecting when life is busy. Our immune systems take care of us when we encounter bacteria, viruses, and fungi — which we all do every day. But you can meet unfamiliar pathogens when people from different backgrounds move in together.
Remember the pandemic rules about washing hands often and disinfecting high-touch surfaces in your house? Do it for the first few weeks to make sure that diseases don’t spread.
Allergies
Make sure to ask whether your new child has any allergies, and to share any your current family members have with your older adopted child. Get your home ready with the new family member’s sensitivities in mind and brainstorm ways to work with current allergies — say, if your adopted child’s favorite lunch is peanut butter and your other kids are allergic to peanuts. Sunflower butter may be the perfect compromise.
Healthy habits
Stress and lack of sleep can make you — and the rest of your family — more susceptible to contagion. Prioritize healthy habits to make the transition smoother when you bring home your beloved new child.
- Good sleep hygiene can help you get your zzz’s. Try to keep bedtime and wake up time the same, even on weekends. Power down in the evenings and give yourself time to unwind. Give yourself a couple of hours after meals and before bedtime. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime.
- Choose healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Cut back on highly processed foods if you can.
- Exercise regularly, even it’s just a family walk around the block after dinner. This is one of the best ways to boost your immune system.
- Relax as much as possible. Consider spending time in meditation or prayer.
Taking these steps will keep your immune system in good condition so you can stay healthy as you welcome your new child into your home.
Your adoption journey will be full of surprises. Bringing home a cold isn’t a surprise you want.
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