Failure to thrive

Failure to thrive
Classification and external resources
Specialty	pediatrics
ICD-10	R62.8
ICD-9-CM	783.41, 783.7
DiseasesDB	18756
MedlinePlus	000991
eMedicine	ped/738
MeSH	D005183
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Failure to thrive (FTT), more recently known as faltering weight or weight faltering, is a term used in pediatric and adult medicine, as well as veterinary medicine (where it is also referred to as ill thrift), to indicate insufficient weight gain or inappropriate weight loss. When not more precisely defined, the term refers to pediatric patients. In children, it is usually defined in terms of weight, and can be evaluated either by a low weight for the child's age, or by a low rate of increase in the weight.

As used by pediatricians, it covers poor physical growth of any cause and does not itself imply abnormal intellectual, social, or emotional development, although it can subsequently be a cause of such pathologies. The term has been used in different ways, and different objective standards have been defined. Many definitions use the 5th percentile as a cutoff.

Traditionally, causes of FTT have been divided into endogenous and exogenous causes. Initial investigation should consider physical causes, calorie intake and psychosocial assessment.

The term "failure to thrive" is also applied to geriatrics or more generally in adult medicine as a descriptive, non-specific term that encompasses "not doing well". Manifestations of this condition include weight loss, decreased appetite, poor nutrition, and inactivity. Four syndromes are prevalent and predictive of adverse outcomes in patients with failure to thrive: impaired physical function, malnutrition, depression, and cognitive impairment.

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