What is failure to thrive?
Failure to thrive is when a baby or child doesn't grow or gain weight as expected. Babies and children with failure to thrive are underweight, lose weight, or stop growing at their expected rate.
Failure to thrive can lead to long-term problems with learning, behavior, and growth, especially if it happens during the first year of a baby’s life.
What causes failure to thrive?
Failure to thrive usually happens because children aren't getting enough food. Or the food they’re getting doesn’t have enough of the proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals (nutrients) they need for healthy growth. This can happen because of problems in the family or a medical problem the child has.
Family problems:
Medical problems:
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Problems swallowing or keeping food down
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Problems absorbing nutrients from food (malabsorption)
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Heart, kidney, or liver disease
What are the symptoms of failure to thrive?
How can doctors tell if my child isn't thriving?
Your child’s doctor will keep a history of height and weight at each doctor visit. They’ll compare your child’s height and weight to:
They suspect failure to thrive if your child isn't growing as expected. Doctors examine your child and ask about your child's eating habits and symptoms.
If your child is getting enough food, doctors do tests to figure out if a medical problem is causing failure to thrive. They usually do:
