Common Health Problems of Infants

Failure to thrive refers to impaired growth and development due to inadequate nutrients that are needed to carry out the body’s essential functions, like bone and muscle growth, brain development, and cellular processes.

Alright, so healthy growth and development requires the right balance of nutrients, like iron, calcium, fat, protein, and essential vitamins. Most infants get the nutrition they need from breastmilk or vitamin-D fortified formula during the first six months of life, and then from nutritious foods once they start eating solids. Without the proper nutrients, growth parameters like weight, length, and head circumference can be delayed, as well as developmental milestones, like rolling over and crawling.

Now, there are four main mechanisms that contribute to failure to thrive. First, inadequate caloric intake can cause growth failure because there’s insufficient energy to meet the infant’s growth needs. This can occur due to inappropriate feeding methods, such as over-dilution of formula or giving the infant nutrient-poor foods, like juice; or problems with breastfeeding.

Next, dietary deficiencies or chronic diseases can cause inadequate absorption of essential nutrients. For instance, a lack of vitamin D impairs the absorption of calcium required for bone growth, while celiac disease impairs absorption of essential nutrients in the small intestine. Then, there are conditions that cause increased metabolism, such as hyperthyroidism and congenital heart disease that lead to increased energy expenditure.

Lastly, underlying diseases or conditions can contribute to defective utilization of nutrients, which can happen with genetic anomalies like Trisomy 21. Additionally, societal factors that can increase the risk of failure to thrive include poverty, food insecurity, child abuse and neglect, and inadequate nutritional knowledge.

In failure to thrive, infants typically appear shorter or smaller than other infants of the same age, and they may have dry, cracked skin, poor muscle tone, and decreased subcutaneous fat. They may also demonstrate abnormal feeding behaviors, like impaired sucking or swallowing, food aversion or refusal to eat, emesis, or crying during feedings. Their activity level is often decreased, and they may fail to reach developmental milestones. Lastly, manifestations will depend on the underlying cause. For example, infants with celiac disease may have frequent diarrhea and abdominal distension.