Ami Mavani, M.D.

Adoptive Parents

It gives me such joy to educate parents and children about specific issues related to adoption as they raise their child. The following links and details will help educate parents about what to expect from their doctor and from their child as they enter the world of parenthood. The general pediatric care is, of course, identical and you can visit the rest of the site for more general information.

Where Do you Sleep?
Ami Mavani,MD

Where do you sleep?
Whose arms rock you to sleep?
Your daddy’s and mine are empty.

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Pediatric Appointment

Before the child arrives you can set up a consult with your pediatrician to talk about the child’s adjustment, transition and medical care. This is a good time for you to gauge the doctor’s awareness of adoption issues and their sensitivity to the process of adoption, its joys and trials. Once your child has arrived, make an appointment with him or her for a general evaluation. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the physical include hemoglobin/hematocrit and red blood cell indices, urinalysis, blood lead level, vision and hearing testing, dental examination, and screening for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, syphilis, tuberculosis, and intestinal parasites.

Medical Insurance

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66) was signed by President Clinton on August 10, 1993. It amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974. The most significant change is that the law requires that any group health plan which provides coverage for dependent children of plan participants must provide benefits to a child placed with participants for adoption under the same terms and conditions as apply to a biological child of a plan participant. Additionally, the law prohibits carriers from restricting coverage of adopted children on the basis of a preexisting condition. Therefore, health insurance coverage for adopted children is now available to all families covered by group health plans as soon as those families assume financial responsibility for the child.

The March/April 2002 issue of Adoptive Families magazine includes a comprehensive article on Health Insurance for Adoptive Children.