RT Book, Section
A1 Shah, Ashish
A1 Sobolewski, Brad
A1 Mittiga, Matthew R.
A2 Knoop, Kevin J.
A2 Stack, Lawrence B.
A2 Storrow, Alan B.
A2 Thurman, R. Jason
SR Print(0)
ID 1181044626
T1 Failure To Thrive
T2 The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 5e
YR 2021
FD 2021
PB McGraw-Hill
PP New York, NY
SN 9781260134940
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1181044626
RD 2024/04/16
AB Failure  to  thrive  (FTT)  is  the  inability  to  maintain  a  normal  growth  pattern  in  weight,  stature,  and  occasionally  in  head  growth.  Definitions  are  varied  and  include  a  fall  in  weight  below  the  2nd  percentile  relative  to  corrected  gestational  age  and  sex  or  growth  deceleration  that  crosses  two  major  percentiles  on  a  standardized  growth  chart.  It  is  most  common  in  infancy,  and  the  condition  is  nonorganic  (50%),  organic  (25%),  or  mixed  (25%)  in  etiology.  The  diagnosis  is  made  after  complete  history  and  physical  examination  with  comparison  of  the  measurements  of  length  (supine  in  children  <  3  years  of  age),  weight,  and  head  circumference  (maximal  occipital-frontal  circumference)  to  standard  measurements.  In  cases  of  deficient  caloric  intake  or  malabsorption,  the  patient’s  head  circumference  is  normal  and  the  weight  is  reduced  out  of  proportion  to  length/height.  In  general,  FTT  is  due  to  decreased  intake,  increased  output,  increased  caloric  demand,  or  some  combination  of  all  three.  The  differential  diagnosis  of  FTT  is  lengthy.  Nonorganic  disorders  are  more  common  and  include  poor  feeding  technique,  disturbed  maternal-child  interaction,  emotional  deprivation,  inadequate  caloric  intake,  and  child  neglect.  Organic  causes  are  numerous.