Early nurture key for adopted children

Short window for adequate care before development is compromised

ABANDONED and orphaned children who are inadequately cared for in their first 1 000 days of life are severely compromised when it comes to their chances of adoption.

Speaking at an adoption seminar in Boksburg hosted by the Department of Social Development and the National Adoption Coalition of South Africa, Dr Michelle Pentecost from Oxford University said: “Early adoption at birth or in early life has long- term benefits for health and potential.”

She spoke about the right nutrition from the moment a foetus is conceived and highlighted aspects such as not smoking, drinking, and taking drugs. She also spoke about the need for love and attention and play and stimulation.

“This period is crucial. Caring for your baby should start before birth. Physical and brain development occur at a very fast rate during this time,” she said. She said this issue of very early childhood d e ve l o p ment remained dire in South Africa as challenges like malnutrition remained a problem even in the post- apartheid era.

She pointed out other obstacles for orphaned children such as not having a primary caregiver and sometimes living in unsafe or povertystricken environments.

Pentecost spoke of the different stages of childhood develop-

early childhood development and malnutrition remain dire in

ment. She compared a child who receives the right care and one whose needs are neglected.

She said that between the ages of three and five, there was a window of opportunity for dramatic brain development of memory, inhibitory control, cognitive and mental flexibility.

She highlighted that at this age a child whose needs have been adequately considered begins pre-school with an advantage and is able to form friendships with other children and good relationships with pre-school workers.

On the other hand, a child of the same age whose developmental goals have been ignored experiences problems at this stage.

Children up for adoption often fall into this category and their deficiencies are more apparent. Pentecost added that these children could act out aggressively.

“When the process of finding a family begins, there are difficulties in finding suitable adopters when the child is of an older age,” she said.

‘The issues of South Africa’

PICTURE: AP A child plays with Lego at Cotlands, which offers adoption services and early childhood education.