For example, intestinal disorders may cause poor absorption (malabsorption) of the diet and lead to failure to thrive. If your child has organic failure to thrive, additional therapy may be needed to treat the underlying medical condition. The overall goal of treatment is to provide adequate calories and any other support necessary to promote the growth of your child. Treatment of failure to thrive depends upon the age of the child, the associated symptoms and the underlying reason for the poor growth. Your physician will often tailor any blood tests or other laboratory studies according to your child’s symptoms, physical findings and response to initial therapy. Sometimes an infant or child with failure to thrive will be hospitalized for observation to help determine the nature of the problem and to begin dietary therapy. If your child continues to have FTT, your physician may admit your child to the hospital for further monitoring and investigation. It may be necessary to involve other specialists to assess the developmental stage of your child and/or your child’s feeding skills. In the event of difficulties with breastfeeding, a lactation specialist may be asked to help. Often, as a first step, an appropriate diet will be instituted with the help of a dietician to make certain that adequate calories are provided to allow for “catch-up” growth for your child. Your doctor may request that you provide food records for your child and will likely involve a dietician to assess your child’s food intake and nutrition needs. 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 (overdiluting the formula), or an inadequate supply of breast milk (due to the mother being exhausted, under stress or in a poor nutritional state). ![]() Non-organic FTT most commonly occurs in situations where there is inadequate food intake or there is a lack of environmental stimuli. Up to 80% of all children with FTT have non-organic type FTT. Non-organic FTT is applied to children who have growth problems but do not have a specific underlying disease or medical condition. ![]() Organic FTT refers to growth failure that results from acute or chronic medical problems such as listed above. When children develop failure to thrive from an underlying medical condition, it is often referred to as organic FTT. Other children may have an increased requirement for calories because of a chronic infection, hyperthyroidism, congenital heart disease or chronic lung problems. diabetes mellitus (usually includes weight loss, increased urination, and increased thirst and drinking).conditions associated with malabsorption, usually with diarrhea which can be foul smelling and oily, such as from cystic fibrosis, allergies, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or parasite infestations or other intestinal infections.illnesses that can cause persistent vomiting such as intestinal obstructions or a brain tumor. ![]() poverty can lead to inadequate access to foodĬonditions that can cause an increased loss of calories include the following:.physical abnormalities that cause difficulty swallowing, such as neurological disorders including cerebral palsy, trauma to the mouth, congenital abnormalities, or disorders with motility or movement of the upper gastrointestinal tract.poor milk supply for breastfeeding moms (due to the mother being exhausted, under stress or in a poor nutritional state).refusal to eat from chronic medical problems, such as kidney disease, cancer, congenital heart disease, metabolic disorders, liver disease, HIV infection, or gastroesophageal reflux with esophagitis.Failure to thrive happens for many reasons, but the causes can be divided into three categories: poor intake, poor utilization, or increased calorie requirements.Īmong the conditions that can cause your child to have inadequate calories for normal growth (decreased intake of calories) include:
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