FPN – Failure to Thrive Causes

Failure to Thrive Causes

Aka: Failure to Thrive Causes

II. Precautions

  1. First define if growth is truly abnormal (See Failure to Thrive Diagnosis)
  2. Failure to Thrive Red Flags suggest organic cause

III. Causes: Normal Physiologic

  1. Half of infants under age 2 shift weight, height by 25%
  2. Familial Short Stature (Short Parents)
    1. Most common reason for Short Stature in children

IV. Causes: Nonorganic (80% of cases, no Failure to Thrive Red Flags)

  1. Accidental error in formula preparation or Breast Feeding
    1. Improper feeding technique
    2. Misconception about nutrition needs
    3. Breast fed infants with insufficient Caloric Intake (e.g. poor latching, insufficient supply)
    4. Formula too dilute
  2. Economic deprivation or limited access to food
  3. Emotional deprivation
  4. Child neglect
  5. Child Abuse
  6. Caregiver Major Depression

VI. Causes: Organic – Defect in food assimilation or absorption

  1. Infant or Toddler
    1. Food Allergy (e.g. Cow’s milk protein allergy)
    2. Inborn error of metabolism
    3. Giardiasis
    4. Protein losing Enteropathy or other malabsorption
    5. Gastrointestinal malformation
      1. Pyloric Stenosis
      2. Biliary atresia
  2. Child or adolescent
    1. Food Allergy
    2. Celiac Disease or other malabsorption
    3. Cystic Fibrosis
    4. Inflammatory Bowel Disease or other Chronic Diarrhea
    5. Inborn error of metabolism

VII. Causes: Organic – Increased energy requirements, expenditure

VIII. Causes: Organic – Prenatal

  1. Intrauterine infection
  2. Maternal Malnutrition
  3. Maternal smoking
  4. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  5. Fetal Hydantoin Syndrome
  6. Chromosomal disorders
  7. Dysmorphic syndromes

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