Failure to Thrive Evaluation
Aka: Failure to Thrive Evaluation
II. Evaluation: Step 1 – Review Growth Patterns
- See Growth Assessment
- See Height Measurement in Children
- See Weight Measurement in Children
- Head Circumference
- Expected Weight gain (g/day)
- Age 0 to 3 months: 26-31 grams weight gained per day
- Age 3 to 9 months: 13-18 grams weight gained per day
- Age 9 to 14 months: 10-11 grams weight per day
- Age 15 to 24 months: 7-9 grams weight per day
- Plot weight, height and Head Circumference
- Correct Premature InfantGestational age (<24 months)
- 35% of Small for Gestational Age infants <5% at age 4
III. Evaluation: Step 2- Determine if Failure to Thrive is present and to what degree
- See Failure to Thrive Diagnosis
- See Failure to Thrive Red Flags
- Evaluation below is in light of distinguishing Failure to Thrive Causes
IV. History: Nutrition
- Dietary intake
- Consider detailed 1-3 day diary of dietary intake
- Quality and Quantity of food
- Does the child feed themself (e.g. spoon, cup)
- Psychosocial events around feeding time
- Is the child distracted or not supervised?
- Are there food battles or food refusal?
- Discuss food preparation (e.g. formula too dilute)
- Beverages
- Milk amounts (excessive?)
- Nonnutritive drinks such as juice soda
- Stool habits (e.g. frequency and consistency)
- Consider dietary or nutrition Consultation
- Pica history
- Nursing or Breast Feeding history
- Infequent brief feedings
- Maternal ingestion of milk suppressant
- Inadequate milk supply
- Nipple problems
- Inadequate milk let down
- Poor suck
- Maternal Malnutrition
- Maternal exhaustion or Major Depression
V. History: Social
- Interference with adequate caretaking
- Risk factors
- Economic stress
- Disorganized family
- Social isolation
- Parental depression
- History of parent loss
- Overworked parent
- Parental Alcohol Abuse or Drug Abuse
- Intimate Partner Violence or other abuse
- Consider physical, psychological or marital problems
- Restricted home diet due to health, cultural, religious or nutritional beliefs
VI. History: Past Medical
- Birth
- Gestational age <37 weeks
- Low birth weight (<2500 g or <5 lb 8 oz)
- Complications
- Congenital anomalies
- Chronic medical conditions
- Anemia
- Asthma
- Gastroesophageal Reflux disease
- Poor Oral Health or Dentition
- Acute illness
VII. History: Family
- Short Stature
- Failure to Thrive in siblings
- Mental illness
VIII. Exam: Observe interaction between parent and child
- Feeding and non-feeding times
- Decreased, inconsistent, or nonmutual interactions
- Maladaptive parent-child feeding interactions
- Consider observation in hospital with multispecialty evaluation
IX. Exam: Assess for Developmental Delay
- Gross Motor function from neuromuscular weakness
- Social skills and Expressive Language
- Gaze avoidance
- Minimal smiling
- Non-responsive to people
- Inappropriately friendly to strangers
- Bizarre behavior
- Apathy
- Poor hygiene
X. Exam: Complete Physical
- Decrease in skin fold thickness and Subcutaneous fat
- Suggests Malnutrition
- Dysmorphic features in Congenital Dysorders
- Identify findings suggestive of physical abuse or neglect
- Observe for parent-child interactions
- Focus on evaluation for Failure to Thrive Red Flags
- Cacchexia
- Malignancy
- Type I Diabetes
- Cognitive deficits
- Heart Murmur
- Hepatomegaly
- Chronic illness, infection or Malnutrition
- Edema
- Renal or hepatic disease
- Cacchexia
XI. Labs
- Indications
- Failure to Thrive Red Flags are present
- Refractory course despite adequate caloric replacement
- Efficacy
- Normal in 98% of Failure to Thrive
- Consider obtaining only if no improvement
- Sills (1978) Am J Dis Child 132:967-9 [PubMed]
- Normal in 98% of Failure to Thrive
- Initial labs
- Urinalysis and Urine Culture
- Serum Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (electrolytes, Renal Function tests, Liver Function Tests)
- Complete Blood Count
- Thyroid Function Tests
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) or C-Reactive Protein (C-RP)
- Specific Labs if indicated by history and physical
- Stool for fat content
- Stool for Ova and Parasites
- Serum complement levels
- Immunoglobulin levels
- Serum Calcium
- Seum Phosphate
- Serum Albumin
- Beta Carotene
- Echocardiogram
- HIV Test
- Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
- PPD or Tb Quantiferon
- Cystic Fibrosis testing (if not done with Newborn Screen)
XII. Imaging
- Skeletal XRay of hands and wrist for Bone Age