Failure to Thrive
At Children’s Health, our team of experts collaborates to diagnose, treat and care for children who are failing to thrive. Our multidisciplinary team can tackle every aspect of your child’s condition.
We make it easier for you to schedule appointments and get treatment for your child by offering care from multiple providers in the same appointment, at one location. We will also coordinate a meeting with our social work team to help connect you with resources that will help you treat your child’s failure to thrive. Our collaborative approach gets your child’s growth back on track and helps keep it that way for the long haul.
What is Pediatric Failure to Thrive?
Failure to thrive (FTT) is a condition where a child is significantly smaller and is developing more slowly than other children their age. FTT can cause developmental delays and other health problems. You can help prevent failure to thrive by seeking help with your child’s nutritional needs early in their life.
Failure to thrive can happen for many reasons — from medical disorders like cerebral palsy that can make eating difficult, to environmental factors like not having access to healthy, nutritious food. Children may also experience FTT for a combination of medical and environmental reasons. Whatever the reasons behind your child’s FTT, we are here to help support you and your family as we get your child’s nutritional health back on track.
What are the signs and symptoms of Pediatric Failure to Thrive?
Delayed thinking, motor, and language skills
Delayed secondary sexual characteristics (in adolescents)
Delayed social skills
Slow or stopped growth
Below average height, weight, and head circumference
Lack of weight gain or weight loss
Irritability
Fatigue and excessive sleepiness
Low height for their age (or length for babies)
Learning and behavior problems (in school-aged children)
How is Pediatric Failure to Thrive diagnosed?
Before diagnosing failure to thrive, a doctor will review your child's medical history and perform a physical exam. Your child’s doctor will also use standard growth charts to determine whether their weight, height and head size are below the standard for their age and sex.
To understand why your child may be failing to thrive, a doctor might ask you about your child’s:
Feeding, bowel and bathroom habits
Access to food
Previous illnesses
Family health history
Your child’s doctor might also perform one or more of the following tests:
Blood, urine and stool tests to look for underlying medical causes and check medication doses.
X-rays to determine any growth issues in your child’s bones.
Endoscopic imaging to identify any inflammation or problems absorbing nutrients are contributing to your child’s condition
What causes Pediatric Failure to Thrive?
Failure to thrive is always caused by not getting enough nutrients. When a child is not consuming enough calories or when their body cannot absorb nutrients, they might fail to grow or gain weight. However, many different things that lead to poor nourishment can happen at the same time. Often, medical and environmental factors combine to cause a child to fail to thrive.
Stomach and digestive problems can make it difficult for children to absorb nutrients. They can also make eating uncomfortable, so children with these conditions might be unwilling to eat. Other medical conditions that may lead to failure to thrive include:
Anemia or blood disorders
Cystic fibrosis
Diabetes
Feeding disorders
Heart disease
Hormone problems
Long-term (chronic) infections
Thyroid and hormone problems
Chromosome abnormalities, such as Down syndrome and Turner syndrome
Defects in major organ systems that are present at birth
Damage to the brain or central nervous system
Heart or lung problems
Cerebral palsy
Complications during pregnancy and low birth weight
Inflammatory bowel disease
Celiac disease
Meanwhile, the conditions in which your child is born, grows, and lives — known as social determinants of health — can influence their health outcomes. Social determinants of health like economic insecurity can jeopardize a child’s consistent access to food and contribute to FTT. Other environmental factors that may lead to failure to thrive include exposure to infections, parasites or toxins.
How is Pediatric Failure to Thrive treated?
Our team will take the following into careful consideration while creating your child’s custom treatment plan:
The factors causing your child's failure to thrive
Your child and family’s routine, priorities and interests
Your child's age, overall health and medical history
The extent and severity of your child's symptoms
Your opinions and preferences
We might recommend one or more of the following treatment options:
Family counseling to treat any contributing psychological or emotional factors
Nutritional therapy to promote weight gain and to correct any vitamin or mineral deficiencies
Educational resources to help you address your child’s nutritional needs
Treatments for any contributing medical conditions
Your child’s treatment will involve a team of pediatric providers, including:
Gastrointestinal specialists
Social workers
Nutritionists
Physical therapists
Geneticists
Pediatric Failure to Thrive Doctors and Providers
At Children’s Health, our experts in gastroenterology as well as the pediatric feeding team work to increase nutrition to help your child grow and stay healthy. Together, we help your family build a nutrition plan that you can easily maintain at home.
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