'anabaptist' Attitude Toward Adoption

[JayP]

A chart. Shockley had a chart that blacks were descended from toasters. The chart did not make it true.
Come on…..endless arguments about genetics versus environment and this chart answers it all?

I do NOT dispute the issues and risks associated with adoption.
I take issue with this remotely being a proper and effective forum.

If you are some one considerIng adoption, or needed to work with possible adoption issues from any perspective go seek effective resources….somewhere else.

My last comment on the subject.

[Rdm]

I've seen/heard numerous places that ~75% of children who've been adopted or in foster care have an FASD. Most places consider that a conservative number due to many mothers not willing to admit that they drank while pregnant, or information not being available.

Symptoms of FASD include:

Low body weight
-Poor coordination
-Hyperactive behavior
-Difficulty with attention
-Poor memory
-Difficulty in school (especially with math)
-Learning disabilities
-Speech and language delays
-Intellectual disability or low IQ
-Poor reasoning and judgment skills
-Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
-Vision or hearing problems
-Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones
-Shorter-than-average height
-Small head size
-Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)

Inability to control anger is another one that isn't on this particular list, but I've seen it in at least 3 individuals.
Hyperactive behavior, difficulty with attention, and poor reasoning and judgment skills are the type of things that get a kid (or maybe their parents' parenting) labelled "bad." There has been very little info on FASDs until somewhat recently, and researching it myself has been helpful in understanding why some adoptees struggle so much more than others.
I do not consider myself an expert, but when we adopted a little boy who had been diagnosed with FASD, I started trying to learn what I could so that we can give him the best help possible.

[Josh]

75% is way too high.

From the MN Dept of Health:

Epidemiologic studies in the US estimate an overall incidence of 1 in 500 live births, occurring in 2-6 births per 1000 Caucasians, 6 per 1000 African-Americans, and up to 20 per 1000 American Indians.

[ohio jones]

Josh, that's comparing apples to typewriters. It's reasonable to believe, even without consulting the studies that quantify it, that the incidence among children who've been adopted or in foster care is far higher than among the general population.

[Josh]

Josh, that's comparing apples to typewriters. It's reasonable to believe, even without consulting the studies that quantify it, that the incidence among children who've been adopted or in foster care is far higher than among the general population.

1 in 500 converging to 375 in 500, however, seems too high. I really doubt that the rate of fas in foster/adopted kids is 37,400% more.

Adoption is about 2.5% of people in America, so with only 0.2% of the population having FAS, it’s impossible for more than 8% of the adopted population to have FAS.

[ohio jones]

Josh, that's comparing apples to typewriters. It's reasonable to believe, even without consulting the studies that quantify it, that the incidence among children who've been adopted or in foster care is far higher than among the general population.

1 in 500 converging to 375 in 500, however, seems too high. I really doubt that the rate of fas in foster/adopted kids is 37,400% more.

Adoption is about 2.5% of people in America, so with only 0.2% of the population having FAS, it’s impossible for more than 8% of the adopted population to have FAS.

Your uncited source from the MennoNet Department of Health does not indicate what age group was diagnosed. This Israeli study makes the point that some developmental disabilities may not manifest at an early age. The sample size is small, but studying adopted and foster children ages 3-8 they found 72% had at least one abnormality related to FASD.

[Only an Anz]

I came across this chart today in another context (not adoption) but it is very relevant here. This chart displays the how much of each of these traits is genetic rather than environment/learned. Aggressive behavior, for example, is 65% genetic and hyperactivity is 95% genetic. Reading for pleasure is 95% genetic which very much surprises me.

Willful denial of these sorts of facts probably explains in part why some conservative Menno families have such a hard time with adoptions. They are trying to pound square pegs into round holes.

Interesting graphic - do you have a link to the article?

[Only an Anz]

Late to this thread, but I grew up with many Plain families who had adopted anywhere from one to six children. Very few of them are still Christian, let alone Mennonite, Brethren, etc. I wonder if the concept of spreading faith through one's children might be more relevant to MN vs. the findings of geneticists?

I for one am no scientist, so while it is interesting, not as relevant to many people's day to day. Just a thought.

[Josh]

If 2.5% of people are adopted, and an assertion is that 75% of adoptees have FASD, then that implies the population in general must be at least 1.8% FASD. Yet that hasn’t been observed.

[Ken]

Interesting graphic - do you have a link to the article?

The actual graphic was from a blog post https://jabberwocking.com/how-much-of-y ... our-genes/ discussing this research: https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 22-10123-w

They are discussing the results of the ABCD study: https://abcdstudy.org/

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study SM is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded leading researchers in the fields of adolescent development and neuroscience to conduct this ambitious project. The ABCD Research Consortium consists of a Coordinating Center, a Data Analysis, Informatics & Resource Center, and 21 research sites across the country (see map), which have invited 11,880 children ages 9-10 to join the study. Researchers will track their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood.

Using cutting-edge technology, scientists will determine how childhood experiences (such as sports, videogames, social media, unhealthy sleep patterns, and smoking) interact with each other and with a child’s changing biology to affect brain development and social, behavioral, academic, health, and other outcomes.

The results of the ABCD Study will provide families; school superintendents, principals, and teachers; health professionals; and policymakers with practical information to promote the health, well-being, and success of children.