DEFINITION
Failure to thrive is delayed physical growth and weight gain
that can lead to delays in the development and maturation.
CAUSE
The causes vary, among others:
- Interaction of environmental health and social factors
that prevent children get enough nutrition, for example:
·
Parental negligence
·
Violence in the family
·
Parental mental health disorders
·
Chaotic family circumstances
These conditions lead to the unavailability of sufficient
nutritious food.
- Family economic condition is not good, affect the
purchasing power of families to provide adequate nutritious food to support
growth.
- The existence of health problems in children, for example:
·
Difficulty chewing or swallowing, such as cleft
lip or cleft palate.
·
Gastroesophageal reflux
·
Narrowing of the esophagus
·
Impaired absorption of food in the intestine
·
Lainm disorders such as infections, tumors,
hormonal disorders or metabolic disorders (such as diabetes), heart disease,
kidney disease, or a genetic disorder.
SYMPTOMS
Rate of growth of children is very less compared to the
previous size or height-weight tables standard (see table height and weight for
boys and girls). If the rate of growth is sufficient, then the child is small
for his age but still grow normally.
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis of failure to thrive given to children who
continually underweight or who can not have the weight for no apparent reason.
To ascertain why a child is likely to fail to grow, to be
known about how food intake; bowel habits, social, emotional, and financial
stability in the family, which may affect the child's access to food; and
whether there are certain diseases suffered by children or decreased in the
family.
The doctor will examine the child, pay attention to whether
there are signs of developmental delays in children. Additionally, blood tests
can be done and urine, or X-ray. Other tests can be done if it is suspected
there are other underlying diseases.
TREATMENT
Treatment depends on each child, according to the cause. If
there are health problems, it should be given treatment for the disorder.
Treatment depends on the extent to which the growth of the child is left
behind. Failure to thrive mild to moderate can be overcome with good nutrition,
among others, the provision of high-calorie foods on a regular schedule. Acute
severe growth failure and needs to be treated at the hospital and medical team
handled, such as pediatricians, nutritionists, child psychiatrists, and other
experts to determine the cause and best approach that needs to be done.
Because the first year of life is important for brain
development, children who suffered from malnutrition during this time can be
permanently lagging behind compared to their peers, even if their physical
growth has increased. About half of these children, mental development,
especially verbal skills, remains below normal, and they often experience
social and emotional disorders in adulthood.
REFERENCE
- D, Steven. Failure to Thrive. Kids Health. 2011.
- K, Neil K. Failure to Thrive. Medline Plus. 2011.
- P, Elizabeth J. Failure to Thrive. Merck Manual Home
Health Handbook. 2012.
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