This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Olsen, E. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Olsen, E. M. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Failure to Thrive: Still a Problem of Definition

Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Centre, Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark

The term ‘failure to thrive’ (FTT) is widely used to describe inadequate growth in early childhood. However, no consensus exists concerning the specific anthropometrical criteria to define this description. The aim of this study was to make an updated assessment concerning the use of FTT definitions and describe possible trends regarding the use of specific criteria. A cross-sectional review was done covering English-language articles published from January 2003 until June 2004, and recent textbooks of general pediatrics. Most of the reviewed literature broadly defined FTT as inadequate growth and total agreement existed to define FTT based solely on anthropometrical parameters. Large differences, however, were seen regarding which growth parameters to use and whether to use attained values or velocities. Weight was the most predominant choice, but many included more than one anthropometrical parameter. Failure to thrive in children is currently described solely based on anthropometrical indicators, with weight gain as the predominant choice of indicator and cut off around the 5th percentile. Discussion is needed as to whether the term ‘failure to thrive’ is still a useful common term for pediatric undernutrition of different types.

Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 45, No. 1, 1-6 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/000992280604500101


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C J Kistin and H Bauchner A picture is worth a thousand words Arch. Dis. Child. Ed. Pract., December 1, 2008; 93(6): 177 - 189. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Daniel, L. Kleis, and A. P. Cemeroglu Etiology of Failure to Thrive in Infants and Toddlers Referred to a Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic Clinical Pediatrics, October 1, 2008; 47(8): 762 - 765. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N J Spencer Failure to think about failure to thrive Arch. Dis. Child., February 1, 2007; 92(2): 95 - 96. [Full Text] [PDF]

				I Hughes Confusing terminology attempts to define the undefinable Arch. Dis. Child., February 1, 2007; 92(2): 97 - 98. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E M Olsen, J Petersen, A M Skovgaard, B Weile, T Jorgensen, and C M Wright Failure to thrive: the prevalence and concurrence of anthropometric criteria in a general infant population Arch. Dis. Child., February 1, 2007; 92(2): 109 - 114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]