About this topic
Failure to thrive means that a child is not able to gain weight and grow right based on age. This can happen at any age starting from babies to older children. ‚
Failure to thrive may be caused by many factors. Some may include social factors, early birth, other health problems, not enough food being given, problems in the stomach or intestines, or trouble absorbing food. ‚
Treatment will depend on the cause. Treatment may involve treating other health problems, drugs, and feeding habits. In some cases, a feeding tube may be needed to give nutrition to your child. Admission to the hospital may also be needed if poor nutrition is severe. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- You may need to keep a list of everything your child eats. Write down what your child eats and when. Then you will be able to talk with the doctor or dietician about it. You may also need to keep track of your childs weight.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Add more vitamins and minerals into your childs diet
- Treat other problems that may be keeping your child from gaining weight
What changes to diet are needed?
- Talk with your childs doctor or dietician about the best foods to feed your child.
- Your child may need to have 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. Set a schedule so the snack is more than an hour before or after a meal.
- Give healthy snacks like crackers and peanut butter, cheese, or eggs. Pudding, yogurt, and fresh fruit or veggies are also good snacks. Pretzels are too.
What problems could happen?
- Lack of interest in things around them
- Very fussy
- Not able to sit up, crawl, walk, talk at the normal age
- Hair loss
- Emotional issues
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Give your child foods that can be eaten with the fingers. Encourage your child to feed themselves. They will get messy and this is OK. You may need to help with a spoon for some foods.
- Provide a variety of foods at meal times, even if your child has refused them before. Foods may need to be offered 10 or 20 times before a child will accept it.
- Avoid junk food.
- Limit distractions during meals and snacks. Turn off the TV, music, and computer. Limit phone calls.
- Mealtime should be relaxed and social. Allow your child to eat with other family members. Focus on pleasant conversation, rather than how much your child is eating.
- Praise your child for eating. Do not punish if your child does not eat. Never withhold food as punishment. Also, do not use food as a reward.
- Give your child enough time to eat.
- Avoid letting your child fill up on drinks rather than solid food. Offer solid foods before offering drinks at meal time.
- Keep all follow-up visits with your childs doctor.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Your child does not seem to be gaining weight or getting taller
- Child is losing weight
- Child does not want to eat or refuses many foods
- Your child has behavioral problems
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you what changes I need to make with my child's diet.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child is losing weight or does not want to eat.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Pediatrics ‚
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/Pages/Failure-to-Thrive.aspx ‚
American Family Physicians ‚
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/0401/p837.html?printable=afp ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growth/failure_thrive.html# ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚