Most kids grow  and gain weight steadily during the first year of life. However other kids do not meet the expected standards of growth. This is known as failure to thrive. In general, you should expect a continuous upward trend although there may be times when weight gain will be slow or   the child may lose weight   for some week due to illness. However it is not normal for a child to stop growing or start losing weight for a long period of time. This could mean that the baby is not getting enough to eat or the child has an illness or disorder. Once the doctor finds out the root cause of the problem, the doctor can help the child get back into a healthy growth pattern.

Failure to thrive is usually diagnosed in infants and toddlers ( an important time of physical and mental development). Poor nutrition during this time can have harmful effect on brain development.  Most babies double their birth weight by 4 months  and triple it by age 1. Kids with poor growth do not meet these milestones. If the condition is not treated , these kids :

• become fussy
• lose interest in their surrounding
• avoid eye contact
• may not reach developmental milestones like sitting, walking or talking at the usual age

What causes failure to thrive in kids ?

Failure to thrive may be caused by a number of factors , some of which include the following :

• not getting enough food due to reasons such as mom not producing enough breastmilk
• child having trouble eating due to factors such as prematurity, developmental delays or conditions such as autism
• digestive system  problems such as chronic diarrhea, chronic liver disease, gastroesophageal reflux GER, cystic fibrosis and celiac disease.
• food intolerance
• infections such as urinary tract infections UTI, tuberculosis and parasites
• metabolic disorders that makes it difficult for the body to break down , process and take energy from food
• an ongoing disease or disorder such as conditions involving the heart, lungs or endocrine system. A child may also have trouble feeding because of cleft palate or prematurity. Being tongue tied also makes it difficult for the child to feed well.

How is failure to thrive treated ?

Once your doctor figures out the cause of the problem, it becomes easier to get  the baby back on the right track. Any medical condition that is causing the failure to thrive will be treated and kept under control. The baby’s caloric intake may also  be increased.

In some cases breastmilk may be supplemented with formula. For babies starting solids,  offering high calorie foods may help. Once the baby is old enough, chose foods such as

• whole milk
• yogurt
• ice cream
• pudding
• eggs
•  avocado
• whole wheat bread
• pasta
• pancakes
• mashed potatoes
• hot cereal

In severe cases, babies with failure to thrive may need to be hospitalized  so that they can receive intravenous feeding and be closely monitored.

Does this mean my child will always be smaller than other kids ?

It depends on the cause of the problem. If failure to thrive is caused by a long term medical condition, then it is possible that your baby will always be smaller than average. However if the root cause is easily reversible, then the baby may catch up by growing faster that usual .