Failure to Thrive (Child)

Authors

Heidi V. Krowchuk, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Linda L. Cook, Sacred Heart UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2017

Abstract

Childhood failure to thrive (FTT) or weight faltering are terms used to define inadequate growth or the inability to sustain growth, usually related to inadequate nutrition (Cole & Lanham, 2011; Shields, Wacogne, & Wright, 2012). Currently there is no generally accepted definition of FTT. The common factor is poor growth and weight gain, which led to the recent use of the term weight faltering. The diagnosis of FTT requires a detailed history, as well as a psychosocial and environmental assessment, and a thorough physical examination. The anthropometric measures for diagnosing FTT are normally used by mapping a child's growth on a standardized growth chart over more than one physician visit (Olsen et al., 2007). To identify children in jeopardy of developing FTT, it is recommended that more than one anthropometric standard be used, such as body mass index for age less than the fifth percentile, length for age less than the fifth percentile, and weight deceleration crossing two major percentile lines (deOnis, Garza, Onyango, & Borghi, 2007; “Failure to Thrive,” 2003; Olsen et al., 2007).

Comments

Encyclopedia entry.

ISBN

9780826133052

Recommended Citation

Krowchuk, H. V., & Cook, L. L. (2017). Failure to thrive (child). In J. Fitzpatrick (Ed.), Encyclopedia of nursing research (4th ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. Retrieved from https://sacredheart.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/spennurres/failure_to_thrive_child/0?institutionId=4247

Publication

Encyclopedia of nursing research

Edition

4th ed.

Publisher

Springer Publishing Company