Preparing Families for International Adoption

Dr. Bledsoe and her husband authored a lovely review article for pediatricians called Preparing Families for International Adoption, which

• describes the changes in the demographic, medical, and developmental characteristics of internationally adopted children
• discusses the role of the pediatrician in assessing information made available to families prior to adoption of a child abroad
• lists conditions commonly seen in children adopted internationally and characterizes their medical, developmental, and social consequences
• describes the current understanding of the long-term medical, developmental, and emotional outcomes of international adoption

Highly recommended as an overview of international adoption, even if it was written for health care providers ...

Sleep Issues In Pediatrics Presentation

Dr. Bledsoe has given this presentation on sleep issues to local parent groups. This presentation is not specifically for adoptees, but some adoptees may eventually benefit from these approaches after being home a few months. Sleep is an emotional issue, with wild claims made on all sides of the attachment parenting to sleep training continuum. We've all got our biases, and you'll need to decide for yourself which approach feels right to you. Does it fit your parenting style in other areas? Can you (and other caregivers) be consistent in implementing it? Is what you're doing now what you hope to be doing months or years from now?

• Sleep Issues in Pediatrics Presentation (big download in pdf format)