Pediatrics. 2000 Nov;106(5):1145-50.
Greater numbers of young children with complicated, serious physical health, mental health, or developmental problems are entering foster care during the early years when brain growth is most active. Every effort should be made to make foster care a positive experience and a healing process for the child. Threats to a child's development from abuse and neglect should be understood by all participants in the child welfare system. Pediatricians have an important role in assessing the child's needs, providing comprehensive services, and advocating on the child's behalf. The developmental issues important for young children in foster care are reviewed, including: 1) the implications and consequences of abuse, neglect, and placement in foster care on early brain development; 2) the importance and challenges of establishing a child's attachment to caregivers; 3) the importance of considering a child's changing sense of time in all aspects of the foster care experience; and 4) the child's response to stress. Additional topics addressed relate to parental roles and kinship care, parent-child contact, permanency decision-making, and the components of comprehensive assessment and treatment of a child's development and mental health needs.
越来越多患有复杂、严重身体健康、心理健康或发育问题的幼儿在大脑发育最活跃的早期进入寄养机构。应尽一切努力使寄养成为孩子积极的经历和治愈过程。儿童福利系统的所有参与者都应了解虐待和忽视对儿童发育的威胁。儿科医生在评估儿童需求、提供全面服务以及代表儿童进行倡导方面发挥着重要作用。本文回顾了对寄养幼儿重要的发育问题，包括：1）虐待、忽视和寄养安置对早期大脑发育的影响和后果；2）建立儿童与照顾者依恋关系的重要性和挑战；3）在寄养经历的各个方面考虑儿童不断变化的时间观念的重要性；4）儿童对压力的反应。还涉及其他主题，包括父母角色和亲属照料、亲子接触、永久性决策以及对儿童发育和心理健康需求进行全面评估和治疗的组成部分。
