Children are diagnosed with failure to thrive when their weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and sex. Infants or children that fail to thrive seem to be dramatically smaller or shorter than other children the same age.
Lack of appropriate weight gain. Irritability. Easily fatigued. Excessive sleepiness.
Key points about failure to thrive in children
Failure to thrive is slow physical development in a baby or child. It's caused by a baby or child not having enough nutrition. A child with FTT is at risk for problems such as short height, behavior problems, and developmental delays.
Adult failure to thrive (AFTT) is a decline seen in older adults. Fortunately, AFTT is frequently reversible with medical intervention, which may prevent further deterioration, alleviate symptoms, and restore a person to health.
Most children with nonorganic FTT manifest growth failure before age 1 year and many by age 6 months. When nonorganic FTT is caused by psychologic factors, growth failure accompanies or precedes poor weight gain.
Which children are at risk for failure to thrive? A child is more at risk for FTT if he or she is in a family that has problems with poverty, high stress, or parental coping skills.
Slow weight gain could be a problem if: your newborn doesn't regain their birth weight within 10 to 14 days after their birth. your baby up to 3 months old gains less than an ounce a day. your infant between 3 and 6 months gains less than 0.67 ounces a day.
Examples of non-organic FTT include lack of food intake due to an inability to afford an appropriate formula, problems with feeding techniques, improperly prepared formula (over-diluting the formula), or an inadequate supply of breast milk (due to the mother being exhausted, under stress or in a poor nutritional state) ...
Environmental factors can cause FTT, most commonly because the baby isn't being fed the right amount of food to fuel their growth. Some common environmental causes for FTT include: lack of opportunity — the baby is not offered regular, nutritious milk and/or food. family homelessness and/or poverty.
An elderly adult whose health is severely debilitated, and with a failure to thrive life expectancy of 6 months or less, may be admitted to hospice. Many people don't know that older adults can be admitted to hospice care following an AFFT diagnosis, but it can be a great option for care and increased comfort.
Failure to thrive is a delay in weight gain and physical growth that can lead to delays in development and maturation. Medical disorders and a lack of proper nutrition are causes of failure to thrive. The diagnosis is based on a child's growth chart values, physical examination, health history, and home environment.
Failure to thrive may be caused by medical problems or factors in the child's environment, such as abuse or neglect. There are many medical causes of failure to thrive. These include: Problems with genes, such as Down syndrome.
Primary prevention mainly involves frequent monitoring of anthropometric measurements such as weight for age, height for age, weight for height and head circumference. Failure to thrive is usually insidious in onset and therefore these measurements need to be monitored at every well- child visit.
Babies and infants with autism will not necessarily have FTT and vice versa, but severe feeding problems in very young children should alert doctors to the possibility of autism.
If your baby weighs less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces), he or she has a low birth weight. Babies weighing less than 1,500 grams (3 pounds, 5 ounces) at birth are considered very low birth weight. Babies who weigh less than 1,000 grams (2 pounds, 3 ounces) are extremely low birth weight.
Problems with breastfeeding or transitioning to solids also can cause failure to thrive.
Failure to thrive is not a single disease or medical condition; rather, it's a nonspecific manifestation of an underlying physical, mental, or psychosocial condition.
The SSA includes failure to thrive in children as an acceptable disability to receive SSI. SSI benefits can help low-income families afford nutritious food and other necessities for their child diagnosed with failure to thrive. Parents and legal guardians may apply online for SSI benefits for their children.
Sometimes, a breastfed baby will gain weight more slowly than he or she should. This could be because the mother isn't making enough milk, the baby can't get enough milk out of the breast, or the baby has a medical problem. Your baby's healthcare provider should evaluate any instance of poor weight gain.
The following tests are recommended for an initial laboratory evaluation of failure to thrive: CBC and differential - chronic bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, lead toxicity, malignancy, and infection. Urinalysis, urine culture - kidney or bladder infection or renal disease.
Failure to thrive (FTT) is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Malnutrition is a diagnosis that more accurately describes inadequate nutrition and can be determined via clinical assessment. Routine laboratory and radiology studies are not generally recommended.