Guatemala reviewing adoptions

GUATEMALA CITY, May 7 (UPI) -- Reported irregularities during adoptions by foreigners have prompted Guatemala to temporary halt the process, according to government officials.

Nearly 2,300 pending adoptions have been suspended until a review of the process is conducted, El Periodico newspaper reported Tuesday.

For years, Guatemala has been trying to curb the practice by which people act as adoption intermediaries for a fee between birth mothers and perspective parents overseas.

Officials said they wanted to review all pending adoptions involving foreigners to see if the birth parents are, in fact, the ones offering up perspective adoptees and to verify that the child offered is the same one delivered at the time of adoption.

Guatemala is second only to China in the number of children adopted by American parents, with about 4,700 finding homes in the United States in 2007.