Some infants just can?t seem to make it.
The condition ? now called the failure to thrive syndrome ? has numerous causes, mystifying doctors and parents for more than a century, but new research shows the key to a child?s success is early and effective treatment.
“Pediatricians across the United States use standardized growth charts to track the growth and development of infants and toddlers,” said Dr. Maureen Black, director of the Growth and Nutrition Clinic at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and lead author of a study in the July edition of the journal Pediatrics. “Children with failure to thrive don?t keep pace in terms of height and weight and usually fall under the fifth percentile on this growth chart. This condition often begins during the second six months of life.”
About one in 20 infants and toddlers fails to thrive in the United States, according to the study.
Children fail to properly grow because of medical problems such as premature birth, an inability to absorb nutrients, or social situations, including neglect.
“Children with [the condition] who had not received … intervention were shorter, thinner and had lower arithmetic scores than the comparison children,” according to the study.
Treatment varies from case to case, usually involving specialists working with and supporting the primary caretakers.
When the syndrome is properly diagnosed and treated, children often make a full recovery.
Jacob Labofish, 5, of Annapolis, was born extremely premature at just 29 weeks gestation and had the syndrome from birth.
His mother, Regina Labofish, has taken him to Black?s Growth and Nutrition Clinic for about four years.
“With their help, we?ve been able to help him along and get him close to his peers,” Labofish said. “I think about, ?What if I had said no, that I didn?t want Jacob to be involved [in the clinic],? and absolutely, I?m glad I did. I think it has helped.”
