Faltering growth in infancy

What does it mean for a child to “fail to thrive”? No, it’s not a performance evaluation. Learn when and how to evaluate an infant for faltering growth in this episode! 

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This episode was written by pediatricians Lidia Park and Tammy Yau as well as pediatrics resident Megan Branson, with content support from Kelly Haas, pediatric gastroenterologist. Pediatricians Tammy and Lidia take full responsibility for any errors or misinformation.



Key Points:

• To diagnose with Faltering Growth (aka Failure to thrive): the infant must fall below weight-for-age or weight-for-length percentile or have rate of weight gain decline across 2 major percentiles.  
• There are three categories to think about when evaluating the etiology of faltering growth:  
• insufficient calories in
• malabsorption or increased calories out
• increased metabolic requirement 
• 
  

Sources:

• AAP. (2022, May 31). https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/newborn-and-infant- nutrition/growth-faltering-in-newborns-and-infants/?srsltid=AfmBOopMEVV0n6cZIAM4QHQ02RDREPeELIC107ONgdtSRS8bnrfZs4tP
• Pediatrics in Review 2017, https://doi.org/10.1542/9781610021159-86
• AAP Books: Caring for the Hospitalized Child 2018, https://doi.org/10.1542/9781610021159-86
• Pediatrics in Review 2016, https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2014-0122