Nutrition: Foundations for Life

Failure to Thrive

Failure to Thrive is defined as growth deceleration in a young child. The term usually implies one the following patterns:

• weight gain below the 3^rd or 5^th percentile

• or weight gain which has crossed two of the major percentile markers on a growth chart.  

Failing to grow reflects one of four problems:

• Inadequate intake

• Malabsorption

• Excess caloric demand

• Inability to properly utilize nutrients (often, but not always, metabolic disease)

Failure to thrive” therefore is a symptom of an underlying process; and the goal of evaluation is to determine that underlying cause.

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