FPN – Failure to Thrive Management

Failure to Thrive Management

Aka: Failure to Thrive Management

II. Management: Calories required for catch-up

  1. Children with FTT require 150% of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of calories
  2. Schedule: Replacement calories needed per day
    1. Kg based on expected weight
    2. Age 2-4 weeks: 120 KCal/kg/day
    3. Age 1-2 months: 115 KCal/kg/day
    4. Age 2-3 months: 105 KCal/kg/day
    5. Age 3-6 months: 95 KCal/kg/day
    6. Age 6 months to 5 years: 90 KCal/kg/day
  3. Formula: Replacement calories needed per day
    1. KCals/kg = (120 kcal/kg x (Normal kg)) / (current kg)

III. Management: Dietary

  1. Dietician Consultation
  2. General
    1. Stop solids less in calories/ounce than formula, milk
    2. Limit fruit juice to <8 ounces per day
    3. Consider Nutritional Supplement
    4. Take daily Multivitamin
  3. Breast-fed infants
    1. See Breast Feeding Technique
    2. See Breast Feeding Problems for the Infant
    3. See Breast Feeding Problems for the Mother
    4. Obtain lactation Consultation
  4. Bottle fed infants
    1. See Infant Feeding
    2. Use 22 calorie per ounce formula (and prepare as energy dense formula with less water)
  5. Toddlers and younger children
    1. Add rice cereal, cheese, and peanut butter to foods to increase calorie intake
  6. Older children
    1. Add gravies, sauces, butter to foods to increase calorie intake

IV. Management: Behavioral

  1. Consider home nurse Consultation
  2. Consider WIC referral
  3. Involve parents actively in evaluation and management
    1. Helps with frustration and guilt of Failure to Thrive
  4. Restore adequate caretaking
    1. Establish scheduled regular, balanced meals with adequate nutrition
  5. Modify maladaptive learned feeding responses
    1. Behavioral and Family Treatment
  6. Address interactional difficulties with parents
  7. Consider Psychiatric and Social Services
  8. Developmental Stimulation
    1. Community infant-stimulation programs
  9. Correct underlying conditions
    1. Treat Dental Caries

V. Monitoring

  1. Close, weekly pediatric follow-up
  2. Hospitalization indicated in severe or refractory cases

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