Romanian Orphan Studies

Romanian Orphan Studies

1. Rutter's ERA Study

   • Compared Romanian adoptees to British adoptees in the UK
     • Physical
       • Severely malnourished
       • Mentally retarded
     • Emotional
       • Adopted >6 months = disinhibited attachment
         • Not common for those adopted <6 months
     • Cognitive
       • Mean IQ for adopted <6 months
         • 102
       • Mean IQ for adopted between 6 months to 2 years
         • 86
       • Mean IQ for adopted after 2 years
         • 77

2. Bucharest Early Intervention project

   • 95 children aged 12-31 months
     • At least 90% of life spent in an institution
     • Strange situation measured and compared to children not in institutions
       • Control group
         • 74% securely attached
         • 24% disinhibited attachment
       • Experimental group
         • 19% securely attached
         • 65% disorganised attachment
           • No consistency in attachment type
           • All attachment types at once
         • 44% disinhibited attachment

3. Effects of institutionalisation

   • Disinhibited attachment
     • No stranger anxiety
     • Display proximity seeking behaviour with all
     • Due to having multiple caregivers in the critical/sensitive period
   • Mental retardation
     • Damaged intellectual development
     • Can be recovered from if adopted before 6 months