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Failure To Thrive is a blockage in normal increases in height and weight which could be the precursor to slow-downs in the normal developmental process and normal maturation.
Failure To Thrive is a description of a condition given to babies who are consistently underweight or who do not gain weight. There may be many reasons for this. Many reasons for this involve social and environmental elements which work together to keep the infant from having access to the nutrition the infant needs. There are times when medical conditions prevent a infant from developing normally. Another important contributing factor is the infant's own sensitivities and intolerances.
When There Are Environmental And Social Causes For The Failure To Thrive
Many social and environmental elements can be a part of Failure To Thrive. Parental abuse or neglect, parental emotional health difficulties, and dysfunctional family conditions in which regular, nutritious meals are not provided, may all interupt a child's appetite and food intake. The amount of money a family makes available for food and the nutritional value of the food they buy also affects normal growth. Inadequate food intake may be a sign of inadequate parenting and not enough environmental stimulation.
When the situation is not based in medical problems, this condition is called Non Organic Failure To Thrive Syndrome. Long ago, Non Organic Failure To Thrive Syndrome was thought to be caused by poor parenting. But there are recent studies which have shown a growing understanding that poor parenting may not be a common basis of the situation.
When The Causes Of The Condition Are Medical Problems
Sometimes Failure To Thrive Syndrome is brought on by a medical problem in the infant. This is occasionally called Organic Failure to Thrive. The problem can be as simple as difficulty drinking, chewing, or swallowing (as a child might have with a cleft lip or palate). Other medical problems, such as acid reflux, esophagus narrowing, or poor intestinal absorption, may also affect a child's ability to retain, absorb, or process food. And, other medical problems such as infection, tumor, metabolic or hormonal disorders (such as diabetes or cystic fibrosis), heart diseases, kidney disease, genetic disorders, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are other physical reasons for Failure To Thrive.
When The Causes Are Based In Reactions To Sensitivities and Intolerances
Often an infant's or a baby's Non Organic Failure To Thrive is brought on by the infant's body reacting to normal things in the environment as if those normal things were toxic. This is a sensitivity to or intolerance of some things in the environment which the child's defenses thinks are toxic.
This response to this "toxic attack" could involve shutting down the infant's normal developmental process as a temporary conservation measure until the "attack" stops. And, because these things in the environment are not toxic to others, the family and the medical professionals do not know to eliminate these "toxic" factors from the infant's environment. In this case this short-term conservation defensive response continues without stopping. This means that the infant's own defenses interferes with the infant's normal development indefinitely, because of the child's sensitivities and intolerances.
Diagnosis For The Issues In Medical Problems And Environmental And Social Causes
Doctors diagnose Failure To Thrive when a infant's weight or rate of growth is much lower than what it should be when compared with prior measurements or standard age-height-weight charts. If the rate of growth is adequate, the infant may be small but still developing appropriately.
To determine why a infant may be failing to grow , doctors ask the parents specific questions about feeding, bowel habits, social, emotional, and financial stability of the family, which might affect the infant's access to nutrition, and illnesses that the infant has had or that run in the family. The doctor examines the infant, looking for signals which may explain the infant's delay in development. The doctor makes decisions about blood and urine tests and x-rays based on this evaluation. More examinations are performed only if the doctor believes there is an underlying disease.
Determining The Child's Sensitivities and Intolerances
There are some published diets ( for instance: GFCF and Feingold diets) which attempt to address these intolerance issues. These diets perform well for those children who are intolerant of the things which are specifically restricted by these programs. But, for the majority of Non Orhanic Failure To Thrive children whose sensitivities and intolerances are affecting their development and growth, these diets are incomplete and not specifically designed for them.
It is best to have a specialist, who knows how to perform this specific test for intolerance, work with your Non Organic Failure To Thrive child to determine your child's precise list of sensitivities and intolerances. Those who perform this testing can include chiropractors, nutritionists, and other wellness practitioners trained for this type of evaluation.
Treatment and Prognosis For The Issues In Medical Problems And Environmental And Social Causes
The medical difficulties and social and environmental issues approach assumes there is something wrong with the infant's body or the child's social environment. These treatments are focused on a fault in the infant's nutritional processing or access.
Treatment intervention depends on the cause of the difficulty. If a medical problem is found, specific treatment is given. Otherwise, treatment depends on how far below normal the infant's weight is. Mild to moderate Failure To Thrive is treated with high-calorie nutritious feedings provided on a regular schedule. Parents may be counseled about family interactions that are damaging to the child and about financial and social resources available to them. More severe Failure To Thrive Syndrome is treated in the hospital where nutritionists, social workers, feeding specialists, psychiatrists, and other specialists work together to determine the most likely causes of the child's Failure To Thrive and the best approach to feeding.
Treatment For When The Issues Of The Failure To Thrive Syndrome Are In Sensitivities and Intolerances
The interventions for the sensitivities and intolerances approach is to determine which things in the environment the infant is reacting to and eliminates those factors from the infant's environment. When the infant is no longer reacting to those environmental factors, the normal developmental process kicks in and growth and development can proceed normally. With this approach, nourishment is absorbed appropriately and development and growth starts to catch up. There are specialists in Non Organic Failure To Thrive syndrome who can determine your child's sensitivities and intolerances and coach you in getting your child back on track.
Summary
The social and environmental approach assumes that something is wrong in the infant's social environment in such a way that nourishment is not available or is not accepted by the infant.
The medical difficulties approach for Organic Failure To Thrive infants and children assumes that nourishment is not being processed and absorbed by the infant because of some medical problem.
The sensitivities and intolerances approach for Non Organic Failure To Thrive Syndrome assumes that the infant is having reactions to environmental factors and these reactions are shutting down the normal development and growth process.
If you need more information about Failure To Thrive or you would like to communicate with other parents or professionals about Non Organic Failure To Thrive Syndrome, you will like our free, private Non Organic Failure To Thrive Social Network.
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