Poor Weight Gain

Many infants and children are referred to CCDHC for evaluation and treatment of poor growth which is sometimes called failure to thrive. When poor weight gain occurs, there are several potential reasons including poor appetite, malabsorption, and genetics. In some patients, it is a combination of these factors that result in poor weight; however, the most common explanation is due to a poor appetite.

Reasons for Poor Appetite:

In children with malabsorption, other signs and symptoms besides poor weight gain are often present including abdominal distention, diarrhea, vomiting, anemia, short stature, rickets, or greasy stools.

Reasons for Malabsorption:

To determine if your child's growth is abnormal or a variant of normal, our doctors need to review your child's previous growth records and to analyze your child's diet. Please make sure that you bring all of your child's growth records and previous evaluations to your first visit at CCDHC.

When poor weight gain occurs, each child requires a treatment plan specific to the child's needs. In children with poor appetite, many children require high calorie diets, and appetite stimulants. A small number of infants and children may need supplemental feedings through a nasogastric tube or a gastrostomy tube. When malabsorption is identified, the specific cause needs to be determined to allow for optimal therapy. With the combination of nutritional interventions and medications, almost all children can have good growth.

Additional information can be obtained from these websites:

General Information on poor growth
http://www.kidshealth.org
http://en.wikipedia.org

NASPGHAN link for Failure to Thrive Information
http://www.naspghan.org

Healthy Eating Suggestions:
http://www.naspghan.org
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org

Nutrition websites:
Nutrition.gov http://www.nutrition.gov
The Food and Nutrition Information Center http://www.nal.usda.gov