Failure to Thrive: Taking Care Of Our Children Well Matters

Look at any population of individuals and one fact is very clear – everyone looks different, talks different and it goes far beyond just physical appearance. Genes play a major role in it all, obviously but so does the environment. The term ‘failure to thrive’ is normally assigned to children when they do not meet their developmental milestones at a young age. One of the signs to watch out for is if the child is gaining the appropriate weight and height for their age or not. But this does not mean that all children who are short or thin are not fine.

What Are The Main Causes Of Failure To Thrive In Children?

Failure to thrive (FTT) is mainly attributed to some sort of undiagnosed medical condition, and this is called organic FTT. But in most cases, physicians cannot really diagnose why it happens and that is why it is called non-organic FTT. Some causes may be as follows-

• The mother not being able to breastfeed or not being able to afford formula is an environmental factor.
• There is some issue with absorption of food due to some organ defect.
• Not eating the right amount of calories.
• Having allergies to certain foods.
• Not being able to swallow food or having pain when eating.
• May also be due to issues with the lungs or due to prematurity.
• Giving birth to more than one infant at a time – like twins, triplets or higher can be very demanding on the mother.
• Dealing with some kind of infection or metabolic disorder.
• Having a hormonal deficiency.
• Genetic disorders like Down’s syndrome, Turner’s syndrome etc.
• Not being able to keep food down – i.e. there is either outright rejection or vomiting.
• When children are not provided the right kind of environment, they will not grow and thrive.

Nutritional Solutions For Children With Failure To Thrive

Since this condition is due to not eating enough food, increasing the number of calories and quality of food is one approach that is majorly encouraged. Here are some of our tips:

• You can give out meals more often than usual – like every 2-3 hours.
• Offering calorie-rich foods like eggs, meat, nuts like almonds, cashews, dry fruit milkshakes, full fat dairy products, malted ragi, barley, ghee added in foods, potatoes and other root vegetables, dal paratha etc.
• Parents can offer solids always as the first option and not give children any juices or aerated drinks as these have calories but offer no nutritional value.

Conclusion

Failure to thrive is a medical term that we parents dread hearing but all is not lost. The important thing to remember is that children are resilient. They will bounce back when they are given the right conditions. So, if it means they may need to snack, it is okay. You will be referred to a multidisciplinary team by the doctor for better results.