failure to thrive

failure to thrive The inability of a child to physically grow as quickly and as much as his or her peers. Abbreviated FTT. There is no official consensus as to what constitutes FTT. It usually refers to a child whose growth is below the 3rd or 5th percentiles for his or her age or whose growth has fallen off precipitously and crossed two major growth quartiles (for example, from above the 75th percentile to below the 25th percentile). FTT in early infancy sometimes results in death, and in older infancy or childhood it is an important disease marker. FTT has many causes, including exposure to toxins in utero, chronic diseases, infection, chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, undiagnosed metabolic disorders, emotional deprivation and other psychosocial conditions, and other diseases. Treatment of FTT requires discovery and treatment of the underlying causes. In the interim, IV feeding is necessary in some cases, and in others, supplemental high-calorie feedings can help.