Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

I was recently reading the book 1491 , by Charles Mann. As I read, I came across the mention of a genetic bottleneck that had occurred among the Native American Indians. One of the examples given in support of this genetic bottleneck idea was that there is a predominance of type O+ blood among people of the Americas. Intrigued, I checked my family's blood type and indeed, they are all O+. Hmmm. While in Colombia, on July 20th, we participated in a Blood Drive that was held at our local church. When I told the workers my unusual blood type, they were pretty shocked. According to them, they had never seen anyone with my blood type. It kind of worried me. I hope that I never need a blood transfusion in Colombia. Do you have O+ blood? Are you Colombian?

I have never had altitude sickness before when visiting Colombia. But, always before we have lived at 4,500 ft, and the ascent to 8,661 (the altitude of Bogotá) wasn't too much of a stretch. This time, however, we are coming from Sea Level and I have to admit I am a bit concerned -- especially for my little Colombianito. Last year, we took him from our 4,500 feet to the top of Pikes Peak (14, 110) -- a nearly 10,000 foot climb in 2 hours. He turned blue in the lips and started vomiting. We had to pack up the car and head down the mountain -- much to the chagrin of older brother. This time, we plan to stay at that high altitude for 3 weeks, and unfortunately for us, Acute Mountain Sickness (Altitude Sickness) is most common in children. Ouch!! For adults, there seem to be medical and herbal solutions, but nothing for kids. Double Ouch! The good news is that symptoms usually disappear withing a few days. However, if they get worse, it could lead to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAP...

If you will be headed to CALI in the next few weeks be aware that the city is currently experiencing an out break of DENGUE FEVER. Unlike Malaria, which typically strikes in rural areas, DENGUE hits both rural and urban areas. So far, there have been 718 suspected cases with an additional 111 confirmed cases. The fever causes severe pain and headaches and for this reason received the nickname -- breakbone fever , can result in death and this week claimed the lives of 4 children and a 24 year old man. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and there is no immunization to protect you from it. A fumigation initiative has been started in Cali, but it would be a good idea to bring repellent. You can read more from the Colombian newspaper EL TIEMPO : http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/occidente/dengue-en-cali_7132967-1 Photo: http://classroomclipart.com/cgi-bin/kids/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Health_Care_and_Medicine&image=mosquito_4489. jpg & img =0&search=mosquito&cat=a...

Although many surgeries are necessary, some adoptive families choose to have elective surgeries when their child comes home. In the US, particularly, many families choose to circumcise their sons for purely "cosmetic reasons". Perhaps, the following research might make them reconsider. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that children undergoing multiple surgeries in their first three years of life are at a higher risk of developing learning disabilities according to the April 2009 issue of the journal Anesthesiology . Researchers found that although 1 exposure to anesthesia was not harmful, more than one nearly doubled the risk of a child being diagnosed with a learning disability by the age of 19. What remains unclear is whether or not the disability is caused by the anesthesia, or is a result of the "...physiological stress of surgery; or perhaps the medical problems that made surgery necessary..." In addition to this study, other studies have linked exposu...

Giardia is a not so friendly amigo that might accompany you and/or your children home from Colombia. What is Giardia ? Giardia , also known as Giardia lamblia , is a single celled, flagalated protozoa, which lives in the small intestine. In other words, a parasite and not a bacterial or viral infection. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene had a report in 2005 from Sweden which showed an incidence of 8,110 cases per 100,000 adopted children. International Adoption Clinics in the U.S. have found between 10-20% of all internationally adopted children suffer from Giardia . Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, belly bloating, fatigue, very stinky loose stools, and flatulence. However, these symptoms typically only last 2-6 weeks. If an infection has been around for a while, it may be asymptomatic. This is why Giardia is often the silent problem in internationally adopted children. This was what happened in our case. While our son's medical history showed...