Early Childhood Intervention
This website is a place for families who are facing
challenges pertaining to their child's development and
growth.
It is a place to find answers and practical
suggestions. That's what Early Intervention Support is all
about.
Whether a family has a child with a challenging behavior,
a disability or developmental issue, childhood is short - it
should be savored and enjoyed.
Learn More:
Ask a Therapist
We understand developmental milestones and the challenges
of Special Needs children. We spend a great deal of time
with families understanding the inner workings of childhood
routines and interactions. Ask us about your child today!
Ask a Therapist
Failure to Thrive
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Failure to thrive (FTT) is a medical term given to a baby or
toddler with poor weight gain and physical growth failure over an
extended period of time.
Failure to thrive does not imply abnormal intellectual, social, or
emotional development.
What are the Signs of Failure to Thrive?
Failure to thrive is a weight consistently below the 3rd to the 5th
percentile for age, progressive decrease in weight to below the 3rd to the
5th percentile, or a decrease in the percentile rank of 2 major growth
parameters in a short period.
What are the Causes of Failure to Thrive
Failure to thrive syndrome may be an identified medical condition or
related to environmental factors. Both types relate to inadequate nutrition.
Medical causes of Failure to thrive include:
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Chronic diarrhea
- Cystic fibrosis
- Chronic liver disease
- Celiac disease, resulting from sensitivity to wheat and some other
grains
- Prematurely or a cleft lip or palate can interfere with a child's
ability to eat
- An intolerance of milk protein leading to difficulty with absorbing
nutrients
- Infections such as parasites, urinary tract infections or
tuberculosis
- Metabolic disorders
Environmental Causes of Failure to Thrive Include:
- Environmental neglect (e.g. lack of food)
- Lack of food due to impoverishment
- Poor understanding of feeding techniques
- Improperly prepared formula (e.g. overdiluting formula to stretch it
because of financial difficulties)
- An inadequate supply of breast milk (because the mother is under
stress, exhausted, or poorly nourished)
Treatment of Failure to Thrive
The first step is to treat any medical disease or disorder that's causing
the problem, so the team might involve a cardiologist, neurologist or
gastroenterologist.
If the cause is determined to be environmental, a social worker,
psychologist and/or other mental health professional may work with the
parents to provide guidance and support. Treatment aims to restore proper
nutrition.
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List of Diagnosis
Learn More About Early Intervention
Therapy Options
Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with childhood developmental
delays and behaviors. These include in-home services, outpatient (you take
your child to a clinic), inpatient (following injury or surgery) and school
based services. Which type of therapy should you choose?
Visit our Therapy Options
area to learn more.
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