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Failure to Thrive

Failure to thrive (FTT) is usually first considered when a child is found to weigh lessthan the third percentile of norms for age and gender. Although FTT occurs in all socioeconomic strata, it is more frequent in families living in poverty. FTT describes a sign -- it is not a diagnosis. The failure to thrive, FTT, growth delay, malnourished underlying etiology must be determined.

Ten percent of children seen in the primary care setting show signs of growth failure. Children with FTT attain lower verbal intelligence, poorer language develop ment, less developed reading skills, lower social maturity, and a higher incidence of

Diagnostic Criteria for Failure to Thrive

A child younger than 2 years of age whose weight is below the 3rd or 5th percentile for age on more than one occasion.

A child younger than 2 years of age whose weight Failure to Thrive Failure to Thrive is less than 80% of the failure to thrive, FTT, growth delay, malnourished ideal weight for age.

A child younger than failure to thrive, FTT, growth delay, malnourished 2 years of age whose weight Failure to Thrive Failure to Thrive crosses two major percentiles downward on a standardized growth grid.

Exceptions to the previously noted criteria Failure to Thrive include the following:

Children of genetically short stature. Failure to Thrive

Small-for-gestational age infants.

Preterm infants.

"Overweight" infants whose rate of height gain increases while the rate of failure to thrive, FTT, growth delay, malnourished weight gain decreases.

Infants who are normally lean.

Many patients with FTT have either an organic or Failure to Thrive nonorganic cause; however, a sizable number of patients have both psychosocial and organic causes for their condition. FTT should be approached as a syndrome of mal nutrition brought on by a combination of organic, behavioral, and environmen tal factors.

Clinical Evaluation of Poor Weight Gain or Weight Loss

Feeding history should failure to thrive, FTT, growth delay, malnourished assess details of breast or formula feeding, timing and introduction of solids, feeding advice already followed, who feeds the infant, position and placement of the infant for feeding, and stooling or vomiting patterns.

Treatment should include