Understanding Failure to Thrive
Your child may be diagnosed with failure to thrive if he or she falls below a healthy weight and shows signs of emotional underdevelopment. Typically, failure to thrive is discovered during a childâs infant years.
Ideal weight is determined by comparing your childâs weight, age, and gender to national averages. Children who fail to thrive usually fall well below their ideal weight. A child may also fail to thrive if his or her growth rate stalls when it should be on an upward trend. Ask you doctor for a chart that lists ideal height and weight ranges for children to help monitor your childâs development. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also offers a chart that you can use as a reference.
What Causes Failure to Thrive?
Organic Causes
Some cases of failure to thrive are organic (i.e., medical) in nature. Conditions that cause failure to thrive include (but are not limited to) Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, heart disease, infections, milk allergy, metabolic disorders, and reflux.
Children who suffer from serious medical problems during the first two years of life are more likely to fail to thrive than those who do not. Risk factors vary based on the underlying condition. They may include:
premature birth
low birth weight
history of infections
poor feeding habits
Nonorganic Causes
Nonorganic failure to thrive occurs when delayed growth is not due to illness. If identified, the causes may include poor nutrition, neglect, abuse, or mental trauma.
Nonorganic failure to thrive is typically a result of environmental factors. These factors can increase your childâs risk:
poverty
parents with a history of depression or other mental disorders
an inconsistent feeding schedule
What are the Symptoms of Failure to Thrive?
Generally, an affected childâs weight falls below the third percentile on standard growth charts. The CDC offers a growth chart that you can use as a reference.
Your child may have an unsteady rate of growth. Some children who fail to thrive exhibit the following symptoms:
delays in reaching developmental milestones such as rolling over, crawling, and talking
learning disabilities
lack of emotions such as smiling, laughing, or making eye contact
fatigue
irritability
delayed puberty in teens
The Importance of Checkups
Regular checkups can prevent failure to thrive. These should begin during your pregnancy and continue through adulthood. Your childâs growth should be regularly plotted on growth charts.
A child with failure to thrive may be small compared to other children of the same age and gender. His or her growth pattern may not be steady. Have regular checkups with a pediatrician to get the most accurate analysis of your childâs growth.
Because failure to thrive can lead to permanent mental, emotional, and physical delays, it is important to have regular checkups so that doctors can monitor your childâs health.
Follow-up Testing
Tests can assess the effect failure to thrive has on your childâs health and growth. These may include blood tests, urine tests, X-rays, and developmental screenings. Doctors also use these tests to determine whether failure to thrive is organic or nonorganic. Caregivers may need counseling if the doctor suspects that unhealthy practices in the family are to blame.
How Is Failure to Thrive Treated?
Treatment options vary depending on these factors:
whether failure to thrive is organic or nonorganic
the severity of symptoms
the overall health of the child
the preferences of parents or caretakers
the family environment
Some cases of organic failure to thrive may be resolved once underlying medical conditions are treated. If failure to thrive requires further care, the childâs doctor may prescribe nutritional supplements or a special diet.
When nonorganic failure to thrive is linked to problems at home, social services may be consulted. Severe failure to thrive may be treated in the hospital by using feeding tubes to give the child extra nourishment.
After your childâs growth has reached normal levels, he or she may need help to keep physical and mental growth on track. Physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and other specialists may be able to help your child.
What Can Be Expected in the Long Term?
If failure to thrive is treated early, your child should be able to grow normally, barring any serious medical issues. Failure to thrive that is not treated can result in long-term complications, including learning disabilities, emotional problems, and short stature.
Source: http://www.healthline.com