Legal and psychological implications of nondisclosure in the adoption of a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Approximately 127,000 children were adopted in the United States in 2000 and the same number in 2001. When adoptions go well, the events that follow are mostly private family matters. On other occasions, families discover that they have adopted a child who is suffering from mental and/or physical ailments. In cases where the adoptive parents are not aware of the child's medical history, adoptions can have unfortunate endings, including adoption disruption, litigation, interfamily violence, and even death. This article focuses on the issues involved when a family discovers post-adoption that the child has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The article will first discuss the evolution of adoption and disclosure in the United States, then provide background on the nature of FASD and the difficulties of recognizing cases. The article will then focus on (a) the psychological impact on parents who have adopted a child who is found to have FASD and (b) the impact of disclosure upon state, national, and international law. The article concludes with recommendations for improving disclosure standards and reducing the risk of FASD going undetected and undisclosed in adoptive children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]