Failure to Thrive Causes
Aka: Failure to Thrive Causes
II. Precautions
- First define if growth is truly abnormal (See Failure to Thrive Diagnosis)
- Failure to Thrive Red Flags suggest organic cause
III. Causes: Normal Physiologic
- Half of infants under age 2 shift weight, height by 25%
- Familial Short Stature (Short Parents)
- Most common reason for Short Stature in children
IV. Causes: Nonorganic (80% of cases, no Failure to Thrive Red Flags)
- Accidental error in formula preparation or Breast Feeding
- Improper feeding technique
- Misconception about nutrition needs
- Breast fed infants with insufficient Caloric Intake (e.g. poor latching, insufficient supply)
- Formula too dilute
- Economic deprivation or limited access to food
- Emotional deprivation
- Child neglect
- Child Abuse
- Caregiver Major Depression
V. Causes: Organic – Insufficient Caloric Intake
- Infant or toddler
- Child or adolescent
VI. Causes: Organic – Defect in food assimilation or absorption
- Infant or Toddler
- Food Allergy (e.g. Cow’s milk protein allergy)
- Inborn error of metabolism
- Giardiasis
- Protein losing Enteropathy or other malabsorption
- Gastrointestinal malformation
- Pyloric Stenosis
- Biliary atresia
- Child or adolescent
- Food Allergy
- Celiac Disease or other malabsorption
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease or other Chronic Diarrhea
- Inborn error of metabolism
VII. Causes: Organic – Increased energy requirements, expenditure
- Malignancy
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Chronic pulmonary disease
- Severe Persistent Asthma
- Chronic lung disease of prematurity
- Renal Failure or other severe renal disease
- Hyperthyroidism
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Chronic infection
- Primary Immunodeficiency
VIII. Causes: Organic – Prenatal
- Intrauterine infection
- Maternal Malnutrition
- Maternal smoking
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Fetal Hydantoin Syndrome
- Chromosomal disorders
- Dysmorphic syndromes