TITLE:
Influence of Interrupted Childhood Biographies on Health Development: Evaluation of the Scientific Literature on the Example of Being Taken into Care*
AUTHORS:
Manuela Loderer, Ursula Gresser
KEYWORDS:
Taking into Care, Out-of-Home-Care, Interrupted Family History, Physical Outcomes, Internal Medicine
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.12 No.7,
July
16,
2024
ABSTRACT: Background: An interrupted family history, as is the case after taking someone into care, can complicate collecting family anamnesis data. In addition, the interrupted family history itself could be considered part of a person’s risk profile. Aim and methods: Literature analysis was conducted to examine whether there are scientific studies on health development after placement in out-of-home-care in order to recognise any existing medical characteristics that may be relevant for internal medical care. Results: There are few scientific publications on the health development of people after being placed in out-of-home-care. Direct reactions to the stress of being taken into custody include nausea and fever. However, effects that go beyond the acute situation and last into adulthood have also been described, such as AD(H)D, asthma, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, stroke), epilepsy and increased overall mortality in adulthood. Studies show that not only previous experience but also the stress of being taken into care is triggers for this. Conclusion: Information about a previous institutionalisation can hence be important for internal medical practice. The available scientific literature shows heterogeneous study methodology and no group of people with experience of out-of-home-placement has yet been scientifically accompanied for a long time period. Further studies on this could help to better weigh up the consequences of omitting and conducting an intervention for child/youth protection as well as to improve the medical care for this group of people.